Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has raised concern over the rising cases of road accidents in the country.
The Cabinet Secretary who was speaking in Kisumu Tuesday noted that in the last three months alone, the country has lost one thousand lives and called for efforts to tame the menace before it gets out of hand, noting that the country loses around 4,000 people annually.
Kindiki’s remarks come barely a day after 11 Kenyatta University students died in a road accident after the bus they were traveling in was involved in a road accident in Voi.
On the same Monday, 5 people lost their lives as 18 others were left with injuries as a matatu rammed into a tractor in Bomet county.
On Satruday, Kapsabet Boys School bus also got involved in an accident and left a teacher and a student dead as other several students were left with injuries.
Meanwhile, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura has said the State, through the Ministry of Education, is working closely with the university officials to ensure all necessary support is given to the affected students.
“We join in mourning the loss of our young and promising citizens and pray for the quickest recovery of the injured,” Mwaura said in a statement.
He noted that the university has set up a help desk at the Business Student Services Centre, room 151, to offer assistance and respond to queries from parents and members of the public.
Mwaura said 24 students are currently hospitalised.
“Eight students in critical condition have been airlifted to Nairobi through the support of AMREF Flying doctors, who have provided three planes to help in the medical evacuation,” he stated.
“Another eight students who are in critical condition are also being airlifted for further treatment in Nairobi, through the support of the Kenya Red Cross.”
Mwaura called for vigilance by all road users to ensure safety and reduce the number of road accidents.
CS Kindiki asserted that the road traffic accidents menace is worse than the Covid-19 pandemic, stressing that the country needs to enforce traffic laws.
Additionally, the Interior CS said that plans to generate an ‘urgent’ program between the Traffic Department of the Kenya Police Service (KPS) and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) were underway following a discussion with the Transport CS, Kipchumba Murkomen.
Kindiki added that the program is set to reduce deaths and injuries arising from road traffic accidents in the country.
By Matildah Obaigwa
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