Road Safety Association of Kenya (RSAK) wants all public and private drivers vetted afresh to improve road safety in the country.
According to Kisii County Association coordinator Eric Kimaiga, most of the drivers were incompetent and were not licensed to drive on Kenyan the roads.
Reacting to weekend’s fatal accident that claimed lives of eight passengers along Kisii-Ogembo Highway Kimaiga said the number of road crashes in the country this year is alarming and could surpass 3,000 people that the country has been losing each year.
The officials added that even drivers of private vehicles have become reckless and have been causing accidents at an alarming rate.
He said most drivers carry passengers while drunk and called for the use of alcohol-blow both during the day and night to nab them.
“The country is leading in terms of road carnage in Africa. While other countries have tried to stem the number of accidents, Kenyans think road carnage is normal. People lose lives and it ends there. Everything lies with our drivers and that is why they should all be vetted afresh and Saccos strengthened to regulate them,” he added.
Kimaiga disclosed that the speed governor of the ill-fated matatu indicated that the driver was cruising at 109 km per hour speed and was overtaking on a bend.
He called on police officers to take action against people who allow their animals to cross the road recklessly, saying most of the time; they confuse drivers thereby making them cause accidents.