Law Society of Kenya to eject traffic commandant over road accidents

By Standard Digital Reporter

NAIROBI, KENYA: Traffic commandant is headed for a legal battle with the Law Society of Kenya over alleged failure to put in check increasing road accidents in the country.

LSK says in 2013 alone, due to failure to enforcement of traffic act and law, a total of 1, 731 lives have been lost, over 12, 000 people injured and billions lost following road traffic accidents.

It blames the commandant for abetting corruption that has seen traffic police officers under his watch to engage in corrupt practices in order to compromise safety on the roads.

On Friday, LSK through a letter demanded a comprehensive plan of action and steps the commandant have taken to arrest road carnage and menace in roads.

"Pursuant to our constitutional and statutory obligation and mandate, we demand that you provide us with a comprehensive plan of action and steps to arrest road carnage in our roads," said Erick Mutua, The Chairman Law Society of Kenya.

"Unless we receive a credible and convincing work plan within the next one month, we shall file proceedings in court to obtain a declaration that you be removed from office for willful negligence and incompetence," he said.

Only yesterday over 40 passengers lost their lives at Ntulele along Nairobi-Narok highway in the worst road accident witnessed along the area.

A Homabay-bound bus crashed at dawn Thursday at Ntulele on the Mai Mahiu-Narok road, killing 41 people and stirring public outrage over road carnage

Another 33 passengers who survived the 2.30am accident were rushed to hospital with serious injuries.

With a total 74 passengers on board, the 62-seater City-to-City bus was well beyond passenger capacity besides being laden with produce destined for markets in Homabay.

Casualties included friends and relatives known to one other, such as five members of a clan who were travelling to attend a burial in Homabay later on Friday.