Less than a day after the Ministry of Transport sent a multi-agency team to inspect accident-prone areas across the country, the Motorists Association of Kenya has launched a scathing attack on road safety agencies, accusing them of negligence, corruption, and engaging in “public relations theatrics” whenever road carnage sparks public anger.
In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, the lobby said the agencies despite receiving generous funding from taxpayers and donors have failed to address the root causes of road accidents that claim hundreds of lives every year.
“It is immoral and shameful that whenever road accidents spike and claim the lives of many innocent Kenyans triggering public outrage, the very agencies mandated, funded, and entrusted to safeguard road safety suddenly awaken from slumber only to engage in public relations theatrics,” the statement read in part.
The association accused the agencies of taking protection money to overlook blatant traffic violations, issuing empty statements, and holding press briefings to lecture the public instead of taking responsibility.
They further alleged that the same bodies license unqualified drivers, conduct sham vehicle inspections, and misuse donor funds meant for safety programmes.
“These agencies are directly responsible, by both commission and omission, for the needless deaths on our roads,” the statement added.
Citing a BBC investigation, the lobby claimed that many driving licences are issued without proper testing, while commercial vehicles often bypass genuine inspection.
It also referenced an Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission report that estimated police extort motorists to the tune of Ksh3 billion every month.
The statement also faulted the State Department for Roads for ignoring fatalities linked to poor road designs, pointing to the Kisumu Coptic Church Roundabout flagged by Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o and residents as dangerous as an example of a hazard left unresolved.
Kenya Railways was not spared either, with the association accusing it of flouting the law by failing to install safety barriers at railway crossings despite earning billions annually.
Fatal accidents at Mutindwa, Ruiru, Dandora, and Moredat were cited, with the group noting that installing and manning barriers would cost far less than the corporation’s income.
“The public transport subsector, notorious for habitual law-breaking, operates hand in glove with complicit public officials. Their goal is to dupe the public with soothing words while changing nothing,” the statement read.
The lobby argued that these failures point to deep systemic rot, where personal gain is prioritised over public safety. It warned that unless corruption and impunity are dealt with, Kenya’s road safety crisis will persist regardless of government pledges.
The association’s remarks came just hours after Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir ordered the multi-agency team to submit recommendations within seven days following a surge in road crashes.
However, the Motorists Association dismissed the directive as another “knee-jerk PR stunt” meant to calm public anger, insisting that the Cabinet Secretary and the police must take full responsibility for delivering a safe, efficient, and lawful transport system.
