Natembeya calls for stringent laws to curb road accidents

Trans-Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has called for stricter road safety measures to address the rising number of road fatalities.

While mourning Kitale businessman Anthony Lubano, who was killed in a road accident near Kitale two weeks ago, Natembeya expressed deep concern that Kenyans continue to lose their lives due to reckless driving and the use of unroadworthy vehicles.

Addressing mourners at Amuka Village, Natembeya urged the agencies responsible for ensuring road safety to perform their duties diligently.

He stated that the country is facing unnecessary deaths from road accidents, attributing the issue to the ineffective enforcement of traffic laws.

He claimed that traffic police are often turning a blind eye to reckless drivers and worn-out vehicles.

"These accidents are happening right in front of traffic officers who are supposed to ensure that rogue drivers are held accountable and unworthy vehicles are removed from the roads," Natembeya said.

He called for stringent road safety measures, including the deployment of honest traffic officers to curb accidents.

"The practice of traffic officers ignoring dangerous behaviors as the death toll rises must stop. We need order on our roads to protect Kenyans from losing their lives in road accidents," he stated.

Natembeya highlighted the danger posed by drunk drivers on the roads and the unnecessary suffering they cause to innocent Kenyans.

"Traffic officers are not taking their responsibilities seriously when it comes to ending the menace of road fatalities," he added.

He noted that Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) have become death traps and questioned why police allow unserviceable vehicles to operate on the roads.

"Entering a matatu feels like being placed in a coffin. The government needs to put in more effort to restore safety on our roads," he urged.

The months of August and September 2025 were marked by numerous tragic road accidents across major Kenyan highways.

Data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) for the first nine months of 2025 indicates that over 3,300 people died in road crashes.