Operations at the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) were disrupted by demonstrators protesting runaway road carnage.
The protesters led by officials of the Road Safety Association of Kenya and Speed Governors and Road Safety Association expressed their concerns over escalating road deaths under the watch of the body charged with safety on the roads.
They demonstrated outside the NTSA headquarters in Nairobi’s Milimani area and later presented their petition to the Ministry of Roads and Transport in the same area.
A handful of administration police officers who were on guard and controlled traffic flow outside the NTSA offices did not interrupt the demonstrators who included women who lost their loved ones through road accidents.
This comes as the current NTSA Director General George Njao is set to exit in December this year after six years at the helm of the Authority.
David Kiarie, the Road Safety Association Chairman said since the beginning of this year nearly 5,000 lives have been lost on the road whereas in the month of August alone about 100 Kenyans perished through otherwise avoidable road crashes.
He charged that the current NTSA leadership has failed in its mandate to ensure road safety and that’s why they were calling for immediate recruitment of a Chief Executive.
John Mutisya, the Speed Governors and Road Safety Association Secretary General echoed the sentiments saying the Authority has failed to implement a number of policy matters.
He cited among them the 4 million smart driving licenses which were processed but most have not been in use under unclear circumstances.
One of the protesters Mohamed Kuria said they will not relent until changes are made at NTSA.
