Exercise caution on road, MP advises motorists
By Mathew Ndungu, December 22, 2020
Thika town Member of Parliament(MP) Patrick Wainaina has advised motorists to be careful on road during the festive season. The MP says this will reduce the many road accidents that happen during the festivities.
At the same time, the MP warned Kenyans against contravening the stipulated Covid-19 protocols of keeping social distancing, wearing masks and avoiding crowds saying that failure to follow the guidelines would lead to a spike in spread of the deadly virus.
Speaking in Thika town, the MP also urged drivers to avoid drinking and driving to avert accidents along the road as Kenyans move upcountry to enjoy with family and friends.
“Let us do things responsibly even as we celebrate this season. Let us adhere to the MOH guidelines, avoid crowds and wear masks. Drivers please, stop drinking and later driving as this would amount to more accidents,” he said.
According to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), more people have been killed in road accidents as at October 31 compared to a similar period last year.
NTSA says that the death toll in the 10-month period between January and October 2020 was at 3,114 against 2,942 reported in 2019, representing a 5.8 per cent increase.
The authority report indicates that accidents involving motorcyclists recorded a 48 per cent increase, the biggest jump from 597 to 884.
Wainaina made the remarks even as Thika continued to witness serious snarl-ups along the busy Thika superhighway as more Kenyans moved to their rural areas.
The traffic has for the last three days been forcing the government to deploy more officers in every entry and exit of Thika town to control movement.