NTSA moves to audit matatu saccos

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) is auditing all public service vehicle saccos following an increase in fatal accidents countrywide.

This came as it emerged that Nairobi County was leading in the number of roads accidents; where 291 Kenyans have lost their lives this year alone.

Nakuru County comes second in which 93 people have died.

According to NTSA Deputy Director Corporate Communications Dominic Kabiru, Kakamega, Mombasa and Machakos close the top five, where a total of 151 fatalities were recorded over the same period.

The authority pointed to carelessness as the leading contributor of the accidents.

Mr Kabiru said they were engaging all saccos in order to maintain safety of passengers and pedestrians across all highways. "We will not hesitate to cancel licences for saccos, who from time to time flout traffic rules in spite of our continued campaign on road safety," said Kabiru.

He noted the Nairobi-Mombasa highway was still leading in fatal accidents followed by Thika superhighway; blaming the incidents on speeding and carelessness.

"Eastern bypass is next, with Nairobi-Naivasha and Nakuru-Eldoret closing the top five of notorious highways in the country," he said.

Kabiru was speaking at the weekend during a meeting with drivers from New Naivasha Nairobi United Services and Great Rift PSV Sacco drivers at ACK hall in Naivasha.

He said pedestrians formed the large part of recorded accidents at 44 per cent while passengers; both in public and private vehicles, accounted for 22 per cent of the cases.

"Motorcyclists follow closely at 14 per cent and drivers of both public and private close the gap at 11 per cent," he added.