by Ramadhan Rajab and Peter Mutai

More than 80 per cent of road accidents are caused by negligence, says the Kenya Roads Board.

The board Executive Director Francis Nyangaga said many accidents occur as a result of drunken driving, recklessness, speeding, flouting traffic laws and fatigue.

The state of roads and faulty vehicles account for 20 per cent of accidents. About 13,000 accidents are recorded monthly.

Speaking at a Nairobi hotel during the third annual Association of Kenya Insurers road safety awards ceremony, Nyangaga said Kenya should adopt stiffer penalties for errant drivers.

The Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI) called on the Government and other stakeholders to increase road safety awareness campaigns to stem the escalating road carnage.

The AKI chairman Mr Nelson Kuria said there is need to improve coordination of road safety programmes under the recently launched National Road Safety Council.

"We request the council to move fast to consolidate efforts from all quarters to ensure safer roads," said Kuria.

He called on the Commissioner of Police to strictly enforce the Michuki rules. Several organisations were feted during the award ceremony. They received certificates, trophies and shopping vouchers for their efforts in promoting road safety.

Meanwhile, Matatu Owners Association (MOA) now want the Government to increase vehicle speed limit from 80 to 100 per hour in public transport vehicles to stop tampering of speed governors.

The association national chairman Simon Kimutai said some of the latest vehicles especially buses in the sector cannot perform well with the set speed limit.