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Kenya celebrates major reduction in road fatalities

 Nairobi topped the list of casualties with 561 reported fatalities followed by Nakuru at 156 deaths, Kiambu 113 and Kisumu 95 reported deaths. Photo/FILE.


Nairobi topped the list of casualties with 561 reported fatalities followed by Nakuru at 156 deaths, Kiambu 113 and Kisumu 95 reported deaths. Photo/FILE.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 18 – Kenya on Sunday celebrated a 311 reduction of fatalities in road accidents in 2014 compared to 2013.

In a celebration that included lighting of candles to commemorate the 2,907 lives lost in 2014, Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau said the reduction was due to what he described as “multi-faceted interventions taken by the government.”

“2015 saw a reduction fatal road crash victims by 9.7 Percent with a total of 311 lives saved,” he explained.

In 2013, 3,318 people died in road accidents.

In 2014 deaths of pedestrians topped the list with 1,340 reported deaths followed by passengers at 642 deaths. 391 motorcyclists and 268 drivers were also killed in the same year.

Nairobi topped the list of casualties with 561 reported fatalities followed by Nakuru at 156 deaths, Kiambu 113 and Kisumu 95 reported deaths.

Mombasa had 90 deaths, Makueni and Machakos each had 82 deaths resulting from road accidents.

Kakamega, Bungoma and Kilifi had 77, 69 and 57 reported deaths.

The Cabinet Secretary explained that the government had managed to implement elaborate institutional, legal and behavioral change interventions targeted at restoring sanity on Kenyan roads and reducing the number of casualties.

He explained that the government is planning to introduce a new fining system that will ensure offenders pay fines instantly.

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He said having policemen to escort traffic offenders to police stations was ineffective as it was time consuming and affecting the work of police in observing law and order on public roads.

He also announced that more guard rails and footbridges will be constructed in high risk areas including Waiyaki way, airport road and other areas where pedestrian accidents were high.

The CS has also directed the National Transport Safety Authority to produce a comprehensive report on accidents explaining the cause of such accidents, condition of vehicles and drivers involved as well as other details that can assist in legislation and interventions to reduce road accidents in the country.

He further emphasised on self regulation especially by the public sector which he commended for having reduced the number of accidents drastically.

Other measures the ministry intends to undertake to reduce number of accidents include coordination of activities among actors in the transport sector.

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