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{
    "id": 394371,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/394371/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 83,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mulu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1955,
        "legal_name": "Benson Makali Mulu",
        "slug": "benson-makali-mulu"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this important Motion. At the outset, I want to say that I support this Motion. I am aware that the Standing Orders of this House have a provision for Departmental Committees. They also provide for ad hoc committees. While we have had hon. Members here seeking adjournment of the House to discuss issues of national importance, the Committee on Transport, Public Works and Housing has not made request to discuss road safety. It is important that this House discusses this important Motion on road safety. Life is very precious. If you look at the negative impact as a result of what is happening on our roads, as a House, we have all the reasons to seriously think about how we can address this problem. For example, what is happening to our boda boda riders? Most of them have lost their lives. Most of them have broken their ribs. Many Kenyans have lost their lives. In today’s newspaper, the number of road deaths has gone up to 2,475 people. Those are fathers and mothers and they are the breadwinners. Because of careless driving, many families have been put in a state of extreme poverty. As Kenyans and leaders, it will be very bad for us to continue watching Kenyans die and say that things are normal. That is why I support the formation of this committee. Once it is formed, it should engage in serious consultations with the authorities and it should also do research. We need to be told as a House the impact of what is happening. Hon. Deputy Speaker, many people are saying that all this is as a result of corruption. Others are saying that the Traffic Department is not fully equipped to do what it is supposed to do. I really wonder whether we need guns to control traffic. Any time I drive, the only thing I see traffic officers holding is a book where they are supposed to be booking traffic offences. We really need to change. Actually, I would recommend for an overhaul of the Traffic Department. That is because Kenyans are suffering. They have been put in a very awkward position by those accidents. Most of those vehicles have insurance. After an accident where death has occurred, families lodge insurance claims, but it takes many years before the families are compensated. Children from the affected homes drop out of school. Some die because they cannot afford medical care. This is a serious matter and that is why I support this Motion to have in place an ad hoc committee. The other issue is enforcement. We have adequate legal framework in this country, but the remaining issue is enforcement. We need to come up with very serious penalties for those who are not enforcing the legal framework. When the “ MichukiRules” were enforced, in a very short time, we saw a drastic reduction in accidents in this country. The problem now is that we have people who have been given responsibilities to enforce the laws but they are not doing it. That is very bad to this House. The House legislates, but the enforcement agencies do not do their work. That is why, as part of the work for that ad hoc Committee, it needs to come up with very clear recommendations so that penalties are prescribed for persons who fail to enforce the law. We have reached a level where we cannot take any more in terms of what is happening on our roads. That ad hoc Committee should not restrict itself to what is happening today only but, rather they should determine how that relates to other sectors in the country so that they can come up with a comprehensive report that will help us address this serious matter. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}