Following last week’s order for the removal of roadblocks and static traffic cops on Kenyan roads, police have warned motorists that they still risk arrest should they break the law.
Central Regional police boss Patrick Lumumba said this on Wednesday when he received patrol vehicles deployed to the area to enhance traffic operations.
He said they were allocated three vehicles, adding that areas that will receive the vehicles are Kiambu, Juja, Ruiru, Gatundu, Thika, Sagana, Kerugoya, Nyeri, Nyahururu and Kirinyaga.
Lumumba noted that the vehicles will help reduce the number of traffic officers on the road.
“People complaining of too many traffic officers on the road and that’s what we want to avoid and instead have the cars deployed to different stations. The traffic police officers will only work at a station for a day, they will be rotated. We want to avoid more than one officer checking on one vehicle,” he said.
The police boss said that traffic officers are still on the roads to improve security and also to facilitate the movements of VIPs and the cars on roundabouts and junctions.
“The public should not be fooled that they will not be arrested by the police. Traffic police still have the powers to arrest wrongdoers on the roads,” he stated.
Lumumba further said although roadblocks have been removed from the roads, police still have the power to put them back.
“We will put the roadblocks if the need arises. If we get information that a certain road is being used for drug trafficking among other reasons, then we have the power to put the roadblocks in place,” he said.
Last week, Inspector General of police Hillary Mutyambai commissioned 38 new cars to enhance traffic operations on major highways.
