CS Murkomen urges passengers to protest against overloaded vehicles

Transport Cabinet Secretary nominee Kipchumba Murkomen.[Elvis Ogina,Standard]

Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has expressed his concern over a viral video of an overloaded Tuk-tuk that was impounded by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) on the Kisumu-Nairobi Road.

The video showed eight passengers alighting from the Tuk-tuk, which was meant to carry only four people, as the NTSA officials counted them. The driver had fled the scene, leaving the passengers stranded.

Murkomen said that such reckless behavior endangered the lives of the passengers and other road users, and called on the public to speak out whenever they witness such incidents.

“Needless to say, it was dangerously overloaded. To all passengers, please don’t encourage this kind of unsafe road behavior by keeping quiet,” he said.

He added that he hoped the driver would be arrested and prosecuted for his actions.

“I hope the cyclist, who fled the scene, will be made to face justice for his reckless behavior,” he said.

Murkomen’s statement came barely days after he launched the Usalama Barabarani Festive Season Campaign, aimed at reducing road accidents during the holiday season.

He urged all drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians to familiarize themselves with the road safety rules and be ambassadors of road safety while using the roads.

The CS also noted that the number of road fatalities had gone down by 8.11 per cent from January 1 to December 7, 2023, compared with the same period last year, from 4,352 to 3,999.

“Over the last year, our collective effort has reduced road traffic fatalities. I commend all the stakeholders who have contributed to this achievement. However, we cannot afford to be complacent. We must continue to observe the road safety rules and regulations, especially during this festive season,” he said.