This archive report was first published on 26 December 2019.
DPP Haji Urges Police to Equip Traffic Officers with Cameras ¶
Published on December 26, 2019
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has expressed concerns over the enforcement of traffic laws in Kenya, urging the police to equip traffic officers with cameras to improve evidence collection and reduce corruption.
According to Haji, it will be difficult to determine whether passengers who are over the allowed number in a vehicle have disobeyed the traffic police's instructions or not.
He stated that under the Traffic Act, when a vehicle is found with more passengers than allowed, the driver, the vehicle owner, and the conductor are liable.
Under the Act, the three can be fined up to KSh 200,000 and each passenger can be fined up to KSh 5,000.
However, Haji noted that it will be challenging to prove whether the passengers disobeyed the traffic police's instructions or not, as there is no evidence to support the claim.
He therefore advised the Inspector General of Police, Hillary Mutyambai, to ensure that traffic officers are equipped with cameras to improve evidence collection and reduce corruption.
"It will be difficult to get sufficient evidence to prove that the passengers disobeyed the traffic police's instructions or not," Haji said in a letter to Mutyambai.
He added that the police should ensure that traffic officers are equipped with cameras to improve evidence collection and reduce corruption.
"Ensuring that there are laws on the ground, reducing police abuse of power, assisting in people breaking the law, and enabling investigations and reducing corruption, is important to think about how you can ensure that traffic officers have cameras," Haji said.
