In a bid to reduce cases of road accidents in the country, a section of road safety lobby groups are calling for an overhaul of the National Transport and Safety Authority’s leadership.
Led by the chairman of the Speed Governors and Road Safety Association, Edward Gitonga, the lobby groups have called on the government to declare road carnage a national disaster and establish strategies to curb it, including a fresh vetting of all NTSA top officials.
The lobby groups are now calling on the newly appointed Transport Cabinet Minister, Davis Chirchir, to mobilise key players to find a permanent solution to the menace.
“We want to see professionalism as people are getting vetted from the board of NTSA to the senior officers, we want to see thorough vetting of these positions,” Gitonga noted.
Former Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen and the NTSA Board during its inauguration in April 2023
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NTSA
According to the Secretary General of the Road Safety Association, John Mutisya, cases of road accidents can be resolved if only leaders at the NTSA understand the need for road safety.
The group argues that the Authority mandated car inspections, issuance of driving licences and maintaining road safety is being governed by ‘unqualified people’.
“Why is a civil engineer being given the position of the director of motor vehicle inspection? We require professionals in this job,” asserted Road Safety Chairman David Kiarie.
NTSA was established under the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) Act No. 33 of 2012 to enhance road safety and ensure orderly, efficient, and safe road transport in Kenya.
Its major functions include registering and licensing motor vehicles, developing and implementing road safety strategies, and coordinating the activities of persons and organisations dealing with matters relating to road transport and safety.
NTSA also advises the government on national policy about road transport and safety. However, the road safety lobby groups have accused NTSA of failing to meet these functions, leading to the increased cases of accidents in the country.
If the overhaul is done, some of the major losers in NTSA would include George Njao, the current Director General, Dr Andrew Kiplagat, its Director Road Safety, and Engineer Angela Wanjira, the Director Motor Vehicle Inspections just to name a few.
The country has been facing an increase in road accidents. The latest accident happened on January 3 on the Eldoret-Kitale Highway in Soy area, which cost the lives of 10 people.
Road accident that involved a lorry and a matatu along the Eldoret-Kitale Highway.