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Why NTSA was sent home

This comes amidst claims of gross incompetence.

Visibly agitated, President Kenyatta spoke during the burial of three AIPCA bishops who perished in a grisly accident. Mr. Kenyatta admitted that road carnage had increased in the country.

He directed that NTSA officers withdraw from the roads and allow traffic police officers to take charge instead.

"NTSA officials on the highway waende nyumbani waachie hiyo kazi police officers," he said.

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This directive comes hot on the heels of a spike in the number of accidents in the country where the body has increasingly come under heat for culpability.

Misunderstood by the public

Despite NTSA being well known for erecting spontaneous roadblocks and nabbing drunk drivers, their roles have mainly been misunderstood by the public.

A surge in the number of complaints could have prompted the president’s decision, with nearly 200 fatalities in the month of December 2017 alone.

On average, about 3000 people perish in accidents on Kenyan roads according to statistics from NTSA. The World Health Organization pegs Kenya as among the 20 worst performers in terms of fatalities at 29.1 deaths per 100,000 people.

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The most brazen accusation against NTSA was that they had a hand in the December 2017 Sachangwan accident, where they were allegedly in hot pursuit of a trailer which then ploughed into multiple vehicles.

Corruption

Claims of corruption, conflict with the traffic police and high handedness has not aided their case in the least.

The National Transport and safety Authority was established through an Act of Parliament; Act Number 33 on 26th October 2012. The objective of forming the Authority was to harmonize the operations of the key road transport departments and help in effectively managing the road transport sub-sector and minimizing loss of lives through road crashes.

A section of Kenyans who have ‘suffered’ in the hands of NTSA have received the news ecstatically. The days of running over spikes in an attempt to flee the dragnets is seemingly behind them, at least for now.

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