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Protesters stage demo outside Transport Ministry, demand end to road carnage
The protesters led by officials of the Road Safety Association of Kenya and Speed Governors and Road Safety Association expressed their concerns over escalating road deaths under the watch of the body charged with safety on the roads
Operations at the Ministry of Roads and Transport as well as at the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) headquarters in Nairobi were yesterday disrupted by demonstrators who were protesting over runaway road carnages.
The protesters led by officials of the Road Safety Association of Kenya and Speed Governors and Road Safety Association expressed their concerns over escalating road deaths under the watch of the body charged with safety on the roads.
They demonstrated outside the NTSA headquarters in Nairobi’s Milimani area
and later presented their petition to the Ministry of Roads and Transport in the same area in which they demanded recruitment of a new Chief Executive among other issues.
This comes as the current NTSA Director General, George Njao is set to exit in December this year after six years at the helm of the Authority.
A handful of administration police officers who were on guard and controlled traffic flow outside the NTSA offices did not interrupt the demonstrators who included women who lost their loved ones through road accidents.
David Kiarie, the Road Safety Association Chairman said since the beginning of this year nearly 5,000 lives have been lost on the road whereas in the month of August alone, about 100 Kenyans perished through otherwise avoidable road crashes.
“The current NTSA leadership has failed horribly in its mandate to ensure road safety and that’s why we are calling for immediate recruitment of a Chief Executive and replacement of the current office bearer,” stated Kiarie.
John Mutisya, the Speed Governors and Road Safety Association Secretary General echoed the sentiments, saying that the Authority has failed to implement a number of policy matters.
He cited among them 4 million smart driving licenses which were processed but most have not been in use under unclear circumstances.
“The rising road carnage is not a hidden story. The continuous rise is in the public domain, we demand immediate and proper change at the management of NTSA,” maintained Mutisya.
One of the protesters, elderly Nancy Hiuko lamented that she lost a son through a hit-and-run accident and further blamed government officials for covering up the matter.
Another protester Mohamed Kuria said they will not relent until changes are made at NTSA.
