Nairobi — Nyandarua women's representative Faith Gitau has declared her intention to present a motion in parliament addressing the neglected traffic rules and regulations, against a backdrop of alarming road safety statistics in Kenya.
Kenya has grappled with increased road accidents, resulting in significant loss of lives and property, particularly during the festive season when many fatal accidents were reports in various parts of the country.
According to the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA), between January and October 15, 2022, at least 3,760 lives were lost in road accidents, mainly attributed to reckless driving, overspeeding, and disregard for traffic regulations.
Gitau's concerns echo those of road safety advocates and the public, who have long voiced the problem of unmarked speed bumps and poorly placed road signs contributing to accidents and endangering motorists and pedestrians.
"There are some bumps which have been put on our roads but are not visible, I plead for them to be marked and road signs to also be marked, and I will bring this to the parliament to ensure that the bumps are marked and there is a sign to show that there is a bump ahead," she passionately stated.
The women's representative has also called for the reinstatement of speed governors in vehicles, particularly public service ones, to address the issue of excessive speeding.
"I would like the police to check the speed Governors. I don't know why they were removed from our vehicles. You see someone carrying passengers and he is driving at a speed of 180 or even 200," she added.
Gitau has also urged traffic police to step up their efforts in capturing drivers who deliberately defy traffic rules, emphasizing the importance of drivers being vigilant, cautious, and considerate of both their lives and the safety of passengers.
Faith Gitau's parliamentary motion seeks to address these pressing road safety challenges by advocating for proper marking of speed bumps and road signs and the reintroduction of speed governors in vehicles.
