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{
"id": 133086,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/133086/?format=api",
"text_counter": 88,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Raila",
"speaker_title": "August 19, 2009 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2765 The Prime Minister",
"speaker": {
"id": 195,
"legal_name": "Raila Amolo Odinga",
"slug": "raila-odinga"
},
"content": " Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. On 23rd July, 2009, the hon. Member for Juja sought a Ministerial Statement on road carnage. He raised the same matter on 15th August, 2009. While I consider this issue to be very important, it remains my considered opinion that the matter is within the mandate of the line Ministry concerned. Nonetheless, and without prejudice to the Minister for Transport, I have decided to deal with it myself. The hon. Member for Juja wanted to know whether there is a national policy and plan to reduce road carnage and improve on the reinforcement of the existing legislation, whether there are motor vehicle safety standards and if there exists a facility and standards for training of passenger service vehicles (PSV) drivers, whether road safety is a condition for road construction contracts, safety standards for tankers and if the Government would convene a national stakeholders conference on road safety. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me paint the national picture on road carnage using some of the statistical data. Kenya experiences approximately 12,000 traffic accidents annually. They involve about 26,000 motor vehicles. Approximately 3,000 fatalities and 9,000 serious injury cases result from those accidents. In other words, we experience approximately 33 accidents and life fatalities daily. Public sector transport vehicles, which are matatus and buses, account for 40 per cent of the accidents, and are four times more likely to be involved in a road accident than other vehicles. About 60,000 matatus and buses are registered in Kenya with 14,000 in Nairobi alone. The motor vehicle to human being ratio in Kenya is 1:35. That is approximately 1 million registered vehicles against the population of 35 million people. The number of imported vehicles in the country grew by 38 per cent in 2007, 42 per cent in 2008 and by a staggering 214 per cent by June 2009, over the 2008 reported figures. In the absence of clear interventions, one can expect the increase in the number of motor vehicles to translate into increased accidents. The risk factor for road carnage include poor road conditions, lack of proper signage, use of unroadworthy and defective motor vehicles, human error and, most importantly, indiscipline. Laxity in adjudication of traffic offences and weak enforcement of traffic law, speeding, overloading, obstruction, unattended motor vehicles, drunk driving, corruption, poor attitude of drivers and other road users all contribute to the high rate of road carnage in Kenya. The situation is compounded by lack of adequate and modern trauma care facilities for road accidents victims. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Grand Coalition Government is actively engaged in initiatives aimed at drastically reducing accidents on our roads. To this end, the Cabinet approved in July this year the Integrated National Transport Policy. A Sessional Paper is being prepared to be laid on the Table of this House by October this year. The Government has further developed a National Road Safety Action Plan and a National Road Safety Council has been established and was launched yesterday. Issues addressed by both the policy and the action plan include road safety coordination among various institutions, funding for road safety campaigns, establishment of a road crush data system, vehicle safety standards, training, testing and licensing of PSV drivers, emergency trauma care, road safety research, among others. Both the policy and the plan were developed through regular stakeholder consultative processes. The Grand Coalition Government is in the process of reviewing the Traffic Act to bring it in line with modern approaches to road safety and international best practices. In"
}