By Lonah Kibet

Nairobi, Kenya: Police under the Traffic Department have been awarded 11 speed cameras valued at Sh14 million in a move aimed at boosting efforts to tame runaway road carnage.

The cameras, each valued at Sh1.3million, will be positioned at strategic highways to help police arrest and take to court with sufficient evidence those who would break set speed limits.

Traffic Department deputy commandant James Onyango said the cameras would go a long way in enforcing discipline and caution among reckless drivers.

“They give a record of the time the driver was speeding, the road he/she was driving on and give a picture of the car. With this kind of strong evidence it will be hard to challenge it in court,” Onyango said during the handing over ceremony Tuesday at General Motors East Africa.

He said six cameras donated by the World Health Organisation already in use along the Naivasha, Nakuru and Thika highways have been effective in enforcing behaviour change on the roads.

He said 4,075 died in 2009 while 10,644 sustained serious injuries.

2010 recorded 3,055 deaths and 9,329 seriously injured victims while 2011 recorded a higher figure of deaths of 3,332 while those critically hurt were 8,647. 2012 saw the figure drop to 3,141 while those seriously injured were 7,434 and figures recorded for this year up to Monday this week had risen to 1,174 and 2,275 for those seriously wounded.

Recorded figures

“We have seen the figures drop from 4,000 to 3,000 but we still have a lot to do because the numbers are still very high,” he said.

He said out of the recorded figures, over 3,000 falling in the bracket of 15 and 44 years were youths, saying that most of them drive under the influence while others are pressured by their peers to speed.

Those driving along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway will have to exercise a lot of caution as Onyango warned that one of the cameras will be mounted along the road which he said records a high number of those speeding in the morning and during weekends.

Transport Permanent Secretary Dr Karanja Kibicho noted that the Traffic Department was the worst supported division in the police unit.

He said his ministry was working on convincing the Government to purchasing 200 more speed cameras valued at approximately Sh260million. He proposed that the cameras be audited.