This archive report was first published on 23 December 2019.
As the Christmas and New Year festive season approaches, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has urged motorists to exercise extra vigilance on the roads to avoid accidents.
According to KeNHA's Assistant Director for Corporate Communications, Charles Njogu, many Kenyans are travelling for the holidays and should keenly follow traffic regulations to stay safe.
"Every life on our roads counts and must be protected at all costs," Mr Njogu said, urging motorists to be patient, extra vigilant, and courteous to other road users.
KeNHA attributed human error and careless driving as the biggest contributors to road accidents, with drivers having the power to either save or end lives depending on their decisions while on the roads.
Mr Njogu noted that the festive season comes with an increased number of travellers, leading to public service vehicles overloading and speeding in a bid to increase profits, but ultimately endangering people's lives.
"The number of people we lose on our roads especially during the festive season is unacceptable," Mr Njogu added, urging drivers to exercise caution and stop speeding and careless driving.
KeNHA also advised travellers to avoid boarding vehicles that are already full and instead help the police and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) in identifying those violating traffic rules.
Meanwhile, NTSA has launched crackdowns on major roads and highways to ensure sanity and that motorists do not break traffic rules, targeting private vehicles operating as public service vehicles and unroadworthy vehicles.
NTSA warned the public against boarding unlicensed vehicles, saying they will be arrested and charged in court.
Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai has directed traffic officers to arrest excess passengers and allow the rest to proceed with their journeys, as part of measures to promote sanity on the roads during the festive season.
