Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o has appealed to traffic police to ruthlessly crackdown on unroadworthy vehicles using the roads.
Nyong’o noted that it’s sad that there are still unqualified drivers using faulty vehicles despite the many roadblocks mounted by police.
This is following an accident that occurred along Katito-Homa Bay road on Wednesday that left seven people dead and several other passengers injured, barely three weeks after another crash at Othoo along the Kisumu-Nairobi highway killed 11 people.
He noted that these accidents are caused by recklessness by drivers who have refused to hear pleas to embrace traffic decorum while on the roads.
“The Wednesday accident where a lorry ferrying sand collided with a PSV, could have been avoided had the drivers of the two vehicles observed traffic rules.”
He noted that as they mourn those killed in the Wednesday accident, they appeal to the Police to open urgent investigations into the rising number of accidents on the roads in Nyanza.
The Governor noted that between December last year and today, they have lost many people, with several others maimed in accidents some of which could have been avoided.
“On behalf of the County Government of Kisumu, I wish to send my heartfelt condolence to the families of those who perished in the Katito accident and wish a quick recovery to the injured. We have shed too much blood on the roads and the Traffic police must now Stop this madness.”
As of February 14, road accidents across the country had claimed 563 lives since the year 2024 started.
These deaths, according to data from the National Transport and Safety Authority, occurred between January 1 to February 11, 2024
The statistics are an increase compared to deaths recorded during the same period in 2023 which stood at 537.
Pedestrians lead in fatalities with 216, compared with 163 recorded last year.
Following closely are passengers who recorded 109 deaths which is 11 more compared to the 98 recorded in 2023.
Motorcyclists recorded 140 deaths representing a decrease when compared to 151 recorded in 2023.
Pillion passengers recorded 54 deaths compared to 68 witnessed last year.
35 drivers have lost their lives in road accidents. This is a decrease compared to 49 in the same period last year.
So far this year, only nine pedal cyclists have died from an accident within the period under review compared to eight last year.
Last year, at least 22,885 people were involved in road accidents.
NTSA said 4,324 died while the rest were left mostly with life-changing injuries.
At least 10,769 people were seriously injured and 7,792 were slightly injured.
This was an increase of 1,127 compared to 2022 where 21,758 people were involved in road crashes and 4,690 died, 9,933 got seriously injured and 7,135 were slightly injured.
