Senator caught by Alcoblow net launches road safety campaign

                      Joy Ngwendo                   PHOTO: COURTESY

By RUSHDIE OUDIA

Kenya: Nominated Senator Joy Gwendo who was recently fined for drink-driving took to social media to urge road safety during the Easter holiday.

This weekend, on her Facebook page—Senator Joy Adhiambo Gwendo—the legislator took the initiative to advise Kenyans against drink-driving and instead spend time with the forgotten people in the society.

“Happy Easter. Have fun and share the Easter blessings with the less fortunate. Don’t forget the drinking rule. Take a cab or get your friend to drive you,” her update read in part.

This comes weeks after Ms Gwendo was arrested along with 36 others for drink-driving in Nairobi. She was taken to Muthaiga Police Station for a night and later arraigned in court, where she was fined Sh20, 000.

Following this incident, she has decided to sensitise people every weekend through her Facebook page on driving safely.

One of the friends that commented showed appreciation to the message.

“Thanks for the update dear. As an individual, I will and others will do the same. Enjoy cheers,” said Bernard Nyabero.

 “Have a blessed weekend. Don’t drink and drive. If you have to drink take a taxi. I know better and I don’t want you to have the same experience. Thanks and be blessed always,” read another status update posted on April 11.

The nominated senator (TNA) said she is keen to have Kenyans safe on the roads.

Basic principles

In an interview with The Standard, Ms Gwendo said Kenyans should adhere to the basic principles by keeping the roads safe as a responsibility for all of them since when life is saved, families are also saved.

She commended the Government for banning night travel, saying it has helped reduce the number of accidents significantly.

“As Kenyans we need to ask ourselves, when I am getting into a car is it overloaded? Do I have my belt on? Is the driver speeding?” she said.

She said that the little things people take for granted such as confirming if the driver is drunk or sober could actually save lives.

“We should not condemn Alco-blow. Instead we should see it as a way of protecting us,” she said, adding that it is not wrong to have fun with your friends once in a while but after that you should be responsible.