Crisis at Kenya's vehicle inspection unit

By NICHOLAS WAITATHU

KENYA: No motor vehicle inspection has been carried out for the last two weeks since the Government gazetted new inspectors.

Government officers who talked to The Standard on condition of anonymity Wednesday at Likoni Inspection Unit and the Ministry of Transport said inspection of Public Service Vehicles (PSV) has not been done since September 24.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport Eng Michael Kamau revoked the appointment of 29 inspectors and appointed 28 others immediately thereafter.

Addressing the media during a PSV stakeholders meeting at KICC last Tuesday, Kamau denied that the inspection units have faced a crisis due to lack of officers. “We are aware the officers are yet to assume office but we are trying what we can to ensure the problem is sorted out,” he said.

Failure to consult

An outgoing inspection officer told our team that the new appointees have to be trained before fully assuming the offices. “They took over yesterday and immediately started been trained by the old officers,” said the officer who did not want to be named.

The absence of the inspectors has occasioned unease among motorists and players in the industry, who are accusing the Government of failure to consult before effecting the new move.

Speed Governors and Road Safety Association chairman Edward Gitonga claimed for the last two weeks no PSV has been inspected despite the owners and operators paying advance tax and an inspection fee to the Kenya Revenue Authority.

PSV operators pay advance tax to the taxman based on the number of passengers, for example, a 14-seater vehicle pays Sh10,080 amounting to Sh720 per passenger and an inspection fee of Sh1,000.

“So many vehicle owners have paid advance tax and inspection fees yet their vehicles have not been inspected as there are no officers and the outgoing inspectors cannot execute the mandate as they have already been restrained from doing so. Our take is that the Government failed to follow the right procedure,” said Gitonga.

Caused accidents

Traffic Commandant Samuel Kimaru said vehicles involved in accidents, for instance in Rift Valley and Coast regions have to wait for the officers take over the stations.

“We had a problem last week and early this week, but the officers are slowly reporting to the stations. At the Coast, by Wednesday, seven officers had resumed. Not that there is crisis as such, but the delay by the new officers to report to their respective work stations has put us under pressure,” Kimaru said in a telephone interview. “The delay has resulted in the piling up of vehicles that have caused accidents, which have not been inspected for about four to five days now.”