Transport Stakeholders Want Stand-alone Road Safety Policy to Curb Rising Carnage

By Mwakwaya Raymond

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

Stakeholders in the transport sector are calling for a unified, harmonized, and refined policy framework to streamline road safety administration across the country.

The proposed plan seeks to close existing policy and implementation gaps that hinder the realization of road safety, while clearly defining the distribution of roles among transport agencies, county governments, and the national government.

Speaking during a three-day Inter-Agency Convention and Dialogue for the implementation of the National Road Safety Action Plan 2024–2028 in Mombasa, key players emphasized the urgent need for a standalone policy to govern road safety efforts.

Ministry of transport senior principal superintending engineer Michael Muchiri, representing the Ministry of Roads, underscored the limitations of the current Integrated National Transport Policy-originally developed in 2012 and currently under review.

“Much as we have the current integrated national transport policy, we also need a standalone policy that defines distinctive roles, outlines sustainable funding mechanisms, and offers greater clarity.”

On enforcement, national police service traffic liaison officer Musyoki Mutungi, representing the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, said NPS has trained over 2,000 traffic officers in the past two years as part of its commitment to enhancing road safety.

“We have a comprehensive plan to ensure safety on our roads.Training over 2,000 officers shows the commitment of our agency to this cause,” he said.

The officer also addressed concerns over corruption within the police ranks, stating that NPS is working closely with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to crack down on rogue officers.

“Corruption is a pandemic we cannot ignore. We’ve introduced hotlines and anonymous reporting systems at all police stations, and we’re partnering with the EACC to ensure that those who abet corruption are arrested and charged.”

The convention, which began on Thursday, September 18, 2025, brought together stakeholders from various state departments and players in the transport sector to review and align on the Action Plan’s implementation.

In a bid to reduce accidents in urban areas, Eng Wilfred Oginga from the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) announced the rollout of a new E-Police System, which would automatically fine road safety offenders.

“This system will introduce instant fines to violators. It’s a preventive measure that will help curb road carnage, especially in urban centers,” said Eng. Oginga.

The stakeholders emphasized the importance of clearly distinguishing road safety responsibilities between county and national governments to improve coordination, accountability, and reporting mechanisms.

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