State to invest in durable paints for marking roads

By FREDRICK OBURA

The Government has announced plans to invest in durable paints to compliment road-building efforts and protect lives lost due to unclearly marked roads.

Ministry of roads said focus on durable paints was top in its agenda and would go a long way in helping the State protect lives of motorists.

"We are currently investing billions of shillings in improving our road network across the country. There is need to safeguard and make good use these investments for the benefit of individuals," said Roads Minister Franklin Bett.

"One way is for contractors to use durable paints to enhance road safety and reduce the number of deaths on our highways."

The minister said although the condition of roads is only one major contributor to road accidents in the country, the State would be comfortable if the conditions were so perfect as to eliminate possibility of road accidents.

"Some aspects of road condition that we can quickly and easily address is road marking," he said.

Bett urged road contractors not to overlook the paint component, and invest in quality paints in order to sustain efforts and gains made in producing world-class roads.

The minister was speaking during the official launch of Ennis Prismo Thermoplastic road marking paints by Basco Paints into the East and Central Africa region.

The paint is a new generation highway marking system preferred for its ease of usage and extended life cycle compared to other thermoplastic and conventional solvent based paints.

Basco Paints will be the sole distributor of the Ennis Prismo marking paints in East and Central Africa region.

Value addition

Announcing the partnership between the two companies, Basco Paints Managing Director Kamlesh Shah said the introduction of Ennis Prismo road marking paints was of great value addition to the Kenyan road industry.

According to Mr Shah, the thermoplastic paints offer better reliability, visibility at night and lasts between two to three years compared to the six months of other road markings.

The strategic partnership seeks to expand the paint manufacturer’s array of products and give it a competitive edge in the market.

Mr John Lynch, Ennis Prismo Manager for Middle East and Africa assured road contractors that quality of the paint and durability was particularly suitable for use on Kenyan roads.

He urged road contractors to embrace the new paint away from the older version that has not proved suitable for heavily trafficked roads.

The firm will also distribute the road making paints and accessories throughout the East African region as well as South Sudan and Congo where it also has operations.