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{
    "id": 836011,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/836011/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 305,
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    "content": "happening on our roads? Why should traffic police officers, who are simply out there to enforce traffic rules, be armed with Ak47s? Why is it that this started only about two years ago? We have been seeing the traffic policemen on our roads, since Independence, enforcing traffic rules without guns. In fact, the law is very clear that when you are apprehending anybody who has broken any traffic rules, you are not supposed to walk them into a police cell with criminals. People who break traffic rules are not necessarily criminals. The reason the policemen are carrying AK-47 rifles on the road is because they want to ward off officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). We should appeal to the President to issue a directive to the Inspector General of Police to withdraw all those guns from the traffic policemen. This is because the intention by the traffic police is to scare off anybody who wants to ensure that they do not take bribes. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, how can a bus leave Nairobi, be driven all the way to Kericho while overloaded with over 70 passengers, and there are so many roadblocks on the way? Why have we not had heads rolling? A bus that was supposed to carry 52 passengers was carrying over 70 passengers and it was driven from Nairobi all the way to Kericho. How many roadblocks were on the road on that particular night? Who has been called upon to account and answer questions? How can it be business as usual? Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in some countries like Australia, if an accident happened and four people were killed, it will become a matter of national concern. A Minister will even resign from office. However, here, we have lost over 50 lives and nothing is happening. We are operating as if it is business as usual. That is not the way we should run our country. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, another issue that contributes to this accident is the state of our roads. When driving from Nairobi through Narok to Kericho, there are potholes on the road which are almost becoming gullies. Avoiding those potholes is in itself a cause of accidents. What does it take the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to patch up those potholes? We must be serious in this country, otherwise, year in, year out, we will be witnessing this kind of accidents. We will continue hearing the Government say that they have set up a kitty to support the families in the funeral arrangements. How does that help potential candidates who will die through those accidents? That will never help us. I want to appeal to the people who are in charge, beginning from the President down to the Inspector General of Police, that there should be serious accountability from the people who are manning our road locks. If you are on the road and an accident involving a bus that was carrying people in excess of the capacity that it is allowed to carry occurs, you should carry the cross. Action should be taken. That is the only way we can ensure that the traffic policemen on our roads will be serious. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, finally, we must think seriously about improving our road infrastructure in this country. The business of having single lanes is a big contributor to road accidents. Many countries which have experienced civilization have dual carriage roads. For example, if you are driving to Nakuru, there should be two lanes for vehicles all the way. The same should apply when you are driving from Nakuru to Nairobi. That is what should be occupying our plans for the future. We cannot continue having the state The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes"
}