By Martin Mutua and Ramadhan Rajab

Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere has appealed to Parliament to pass legislation that outlaws organised criminal gangs even as Internal Security Minister George Saitoti put criminals on notice.

Mr Iteere said it had become almost impossible for police to crack down on cartels within the matatu industry because there was no law to deal with such gangs.

The police boss, who appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Transport headed by Matungu MP David Were said it was up to Parliament to assist his force in eradicating the cartels.

Iteere had appeared before the committee in the company of ministers Franklin Bett (Roads) and Chirau Mwakwere (Transport) and Assistant Minister Orwa Ojode (Internal Security) after being summoned over increased road carnage.

The matter was sparked off by the Director of motor vehicle inspection Simeon ole Kirgotty, who told the committee matatus offered immense challenges in the transport industry.

"Mr chairman, matatus are a big problem because even their owners no longer have control over their vehicles as cartels have taken over," he added.

Mr Kirgotty further said cartels make such important decisions including who drives which vehicle and how much money the owner gets.

He added" "If we want to address the issue of impunity on our roads, we must rein in on these cartels."

The director further said matatus seem to have become a law unto themselves, because they even do not respect police and fail to stop when ordered to do so.

When the committee chairman posed the same to Iteere, the police chief threw back the ball to the legislators urging them to empower his force to deal with the cartels.

Iteere told the committee his officers had been arresting criminal gangs like Mungiki together with their paraphernalia but they are released in court for lack of legislation with which to charge them.

Iteere further said the force had suggested to have the age of drivers who handle public service vehicles raised from 25 to 30 so as to have more mature people engaged.

Elsewhere, Prof Saitoti said his ministry had set up mechanisms to combat crime and militias in a move to bridge the runaway crime rate.

Speaking in Olturotu in Kajiado during the unveiling of a Citibank-funded school project, Prof Saitoti said the Government would win the war on crime.