Take care of each other, IG Kanja tells road users

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has urged motorists, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians to exercise caution on the roads during the festive season, citing increased travel and a surge in road accidents.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Kanja said the police and other justice sector agencies had met under the National Council on the Administration of Justice, ordinarily chaired by Chief Justice Martha Koome, to resolve the accidents.

“It is the festive season and there is a lot of movement by Kenyans, which means heavy vehicular traffic on our major roads,” Kanja said.

 “We have noted a surge in accidents, and one life lost is one too many.”

He appealed to drivers to be mindful of other road users, including motorcyclists and cyclists, as travel peaks over the holidays.

“At this juncture, I would like to advise our drivers to drive carefully so that they can take care of others,” he said.

“Those riding motorcycles, pedal cyclists, and everybody else must take care of one another.”

Kanja said the resolutions made at the NCAJ meeting aim to reduce fatalities and protect lives, stressing that road safety is a shared responsibility during the holiday period.

In a communiqué issued after the special council meeting in Nairobi on December 15, the NCAJ said there is need to address the five per cent rise in road fatalities.

The meeting brought together agencies including the National Police Service, the Judiciary, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the National Transport and Safety Authority, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Kenya Prisons Service and the Law Society of Kenya.

The council warned that the festive season typically leads to increased road usage, congestion and accidents, driven by risky behaviour such as speeding, drunk driving, fatigue, overlapping and disregard of traffic laws.

“Road traffic accidents pose a significant public safety and security challenge, burdening the healthcare system, causing loss of life and livelihoods, and disrupting the movement of people and goods,” the communiqué stated.

As part of its resolutions, the institutions will intensify joint enforcement on major highways, deploy mobile courts in high-risk corridors and increase roadblocks to inspect vehicles and motorbikes.

NCAJ also announced the deployment of EACC officers along major roads to monitor enforcement and deter corruption, while flagging the need to monitor potential human rights violations during operations.

Motorists were urged to obey traffic laws and avoid speeding, drunk driving and dangerous overtaking.

Members of the public were encouraged to report concerns through toll-free numbers 999, 911 and 112.

The council also called for increased public education on road safety, greater media engagement, and standby ambulances from the health sector to ensure quick emergency response.

“Protecting life is a collective and constitutional duty,” the council said, stressing that road safety requires cooperation between state agencies, civil society, the private sector and the public, not only during the festive season but beyond.