Thursday, April 18, 2024 - Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has refused to take responsibility for the increased road accidents in the country.
Speaking during the launch of the National Road Safety
Action Plan 2024-2028, Murkomen blamed the recent increase in accidents on boda
boda riders in the country.
He noted that he will start sorting out the accidents by
sorting out the boda boda sector.
''If we are going to sort the road accident issue, we have to deal with boda boda. They are the leading cause of accidents in the country now.
"It will be of importance to sort out the sector first to reduce the
accidents on our roads,'' Murkomen said.
According to Murkomen, the boda boda sector accounted for
32% of people who lost their lives, while pedestrians and passengers accounted
for 38% and 26% respectively, of deaths in accidents caused by public vehicles
and private cars.
''A while back, public and private vehicles accounted for
the largest percentage of accidents on our roads. To safeguard the lives of
pedestrians, we need to check this sector that has people knocked on the
streets across the country,'' he added.
Murkomen further faulted the passengers using boda bodas over
their ignorance of following traffic rules, including wearing of helmets by
both the rider and the passenger.
''When you come to tell passengers to wear helmets, they
complain of it tampering with their hair, make up or it is smelling. Which is
more important, your hair or your safety?" Murkomen questioned.
He said that as a country, we should learn from neigbouring
countries, where passengers obediently wear helmets, including the riders.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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