State orders crackdown on speeding miraa vehicles, probes financiers

Jackson Safari, a miraa vehicle driver. He says the drivers are fast but observe all traffic rules as they ferry the lucrative cargo to destinations across Kenya.[FILE/Standard]

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has ordered a crackdown on speeding Miraa vehicles.

Speaking on Friday in Kirinyaga County during the Jukwaa La Usalama, Murkomen said that the government has tried initiating dialogue with the operators, but they defied.

"We are not going to allow lives to be lost by miraa vehicles. As a government, we have tried seeking an audience with them, but they have refused. I have instructed the traffic commander Central region to conduct a serious crackdown on them; they have to follow traffic rules," Said Murkomen.

Kirinyaga governor Anne Waiguru also raised concerns over the rising threat of miraa-related road accidents, which have led to the loss of more than 21 lives this year alone.

"Our people are calling for stricter regulation of these vehicles, including possible rerouting and enhanced traffic enforcement, to protect innocent road users," she appealed.

On strengthening community policing, she commended the government's initiative of noticing the effortless job done by Nyumba Kumi members, saying they have been vital in gathering information that has assisted in early detection of crime and ways of mitigating the crime.

"Security begins with the community itself. Strengthening grassroots structures builds trust and ensures quicker, more targeted responses by security agencies," she noted, while also urging the adoption of technology-driven surveillance and digital reporting platforms to modernise security operations.

Waiguru commended the collaboration between the National and County governments in enhancing public service delivery and addressing emerging security threats facing the country.