Road safety advocacy groups are urging a comprehensive overhaul of the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) following the departure of Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen. They emphasize the urgent need to tackle the rampant road accidents that claim lives daily.
The groups welcomed President William Ruto’s decision to dismiss Murkomen after weeks of intense demonstrations led by Gen-Z activists. They called for the dissolution of the current NTSA board and the establishment of a new management team to restore public confidence in road safety initiatives.
Kenya Road Safety Association Chairman David Kiarie attributed the rising road carnage to a lack of commitment to safety and a culture of corruption allegedly tolerated by the dismissed CS. Accompanied by John Mutisya, acting Secretary General of the Road Safety and Speed Governors Association, Kiarie stressed that previous pleas for action had gone unheeded, underscoring the urgent need for decisive steps forward.
The groups also advocated for the reinstatement of the former NTSA board, led by Chairman Aden Noor.
Murkomen had removed this board after it initiated a probe into Director General George Njao. In its place, he appointed a new board headed by Manoj Shah of Kingsway Tyres, which included members Johnson Losilian, Paul Posho, and Lilian Mogendi, while revoking the appointments of Omar Haji, Charles Nyabuto, and Simon Kalekem.
“With Murkomen’s exit, we need a thorough clean-up of NTSA’s management to restore order on our roads and reduce the death toll, which has surpassed 4,000 in just six months,” Kiarie stated.
He further insisted that all senior directors and management officials, including those at vehicle inspection centers, should face dismissal for incompetence and corruption, recommending the reinstatement of the previous board under Noor.
Kiarie also emphasized that the next Roads CS should be a professional committed to road safety measures, preferably an engineer. He proposed reinstating former NTSA Director General Francis Meja as Principal Secretary, citing his dedication to safety during his tenure.
Mutisya echoed these sentiments, urging the President to implement changes at NTSA without delay.
“A wind of change is blowing across Kenya, with even the Inspector General resigning. This change should extend to NTSA, whose management has been complacent as accidents continue to claim lives,” he asserted.
These urgent calls for action follow a tragic road accident along Garissa Road last Friday that resulted in 12 fatalities, just days after another crash near Kenol on the Thika-Nyeri highway killed four people.
The safety officials warned that this alarming trend would persist unless drastic measures are taken to reverse it.
