An official of Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) has called on the business community to support Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen's bid to stop road deaths.
KNCCI South Rift National Director David Mpatiany also at the same time advised motorists and drivers to observe traffic rules and regulations in a bid to reduce the high rate of road accidents currently being experienced in the country.
Speaking to the journalists in Narok town, Mpatiany said that the impunity and recklessness among the motorists on the roads are the ones contributing to the traffic accidents.
He also noted that it is the responsibility of every Kenyan to ensure that they observe the traffic rules and regulations and the critics should give the government time to come up with proper plans to tackle the menace.
“The problem with us Kenyans is that we like assuming that observing these rules is for police officers, NTSA officials and Murkomen but it is for our safety,” Mpatiany said.
He added that it is sad that when road accidents rise they start blaming the government while blame squarely belongs to the people.
“We should stop this culture of being forced to adhere to regulations, we need to have a habit of exercising caution whenever we are on our roads,” he said.
The director noted that for the safety measures to succeed, all the stakeholders must work together and stop blaming games in undertaking road measures.
“There is a need for the state to convene stakeholders meeting to deliberate on how to end the frequent road accidents and educate each other on the importance of personal safety on our roads,” he said.
The official said that Kenyans should support the government through the Transport Department as it has already announced new measures to curb accidents.
He urged the government to erect speed bumps, especially near towns and also put up clear signposts along the notorious Bomet-Narok which is now prone to road accidents.
Mpatiany advised the road users to comply with traffic rules to avert more road carnage and prevent the country from losing many lives needlessly.
“We are not happy to see the culture of impunity and defiance is still deep-rooted and the order of the day in the transport sector. Any traffic offenders found flouting these rules should be arrested, ”Mpatiany said.
The KNCCI official appealed to Kenyans not to board full vehicles and instead help police bring sanity in the sector and this will save loss of lives through road carnage.
Mpatiany called on the drivers to be more careful especially during this rainy season because at times it can be unclear to road users and also when approaching flooding areas.
He challenged the companies operating long distance areas to ensure they employ more drivers and work on a shift basis to avoid exposing them to fatigue which can lead to accidents.
One month ago, Roads Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen revealed that the country is losing an average of 3,500 lives through road accidents annually.
He said that since the country's independence, there has not been a clear strategy to fight the road menace.
“We need a concerted effort from all Kenyans to stop the road carnage because it is a national catastrophe and all the motorists should abide by the traffic rules,” he said.