Matatu union boss says drivers blamed but sidelined in road safety talks
By Mustafa Juma, August 12, 2025Matatu Workers Union General Secretary Maurice Oduor has criticised the exclusion of drivers from national road safety discussions, arguing that they are unfairly blamed for the country’s traffic problems.
Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on Monday, August 11, 2025, night, Oduor said most of the laws affecting the transport sector are made “somewhere else” without the input of those who operate on the roads daily.
“Drivers don’t make decisions. The laws in this country are made somewhere, and drivers are just brought the laws to implement. Nobody wants to bring them to the table as far as these discussions are concerned,” Oduor stated.
Drivers’ training
He noted that it is wrong to wholly label drivers as the main culprits in road safety violations, saying behaviour often depends on the training and “school of thought” drivers were exposed to.
Oduor further urged the government and stakeholders to involve drivers in policymaking, arguing that their on-the-ground experience could help design more practical and effective road safety strategies.
“We cannot wholly say that drivers are misbehaving, but now it depends on the school of thought that these people went through,” he said.
Drivers blamed for accidents
His remarks came moments after former National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) Director General Francis Meja sounded the alarm over what he describes as a worsening road safety crisis in Kenya.
Speaking during the same interview, Meja attributed the rising road carnage to reckless behaviour by motorists and other road users.
He argued that driver indiscipline, speeding, and disregard for basic traffic rules remain the leading causes of deadly accidents.
“We have a problem, and I don’t think we are getting a solution. The behaviour of the majority of road users is a very big contributing factor to the challenges that we are having in road safety,” Meja said.
Citing the recent Kisumu fatal crash, Meja suggested speeding was likely a major factor behind the high-impact incident.
He also criticised boda boda riders for routinely flouting traffic regulations, describing their conduct on the roads as “very unfortunate”.