Gilgil Member of Parliament Martha Wangari has written to the Transport Cabinet Secretary, requesting him to take prompt action due to increased accidents on the Nairobi-Nakuru route.
Her request comes in the aftermath of a truck tragedy in Gilgil's Kikopey neighborhood on Sunday night, which claimed the lives of five people.
Wangari directed her request to CS Murkomen in a statement on X, formerly known as twitter, emphasizing the critical necessity to reduce accidents in the specific zone.
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“Kipchumba Murkomen, this section needs attention. Too many lives lost!” she said.
Wangari confirmed the circumstances, saying that the tragedy occurred when a truck driver lost control and collided with people playing pool at a nearby entertainment establishment.
"What occurred at Kikopey is tragic. They were all enjoying a wonderful Sunday evening, unaware that a dark cloud was about to descend on their area. I am terribly grieved and pray for the affected families. "May God's grace be with them all," she added.
The incident follows a joint operation on December 2 by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the National Police Service (NPS) targeting unroadworthy vehicles nationwide.
As part of ongoing measures to simplify operations and bring order to the public transport subsector, Transport CS Murkomen has ordered a crackdown on private vehicles operating as public service vehicles (PSVs).
"Joint NTSA NPS road safety enforcement exercise kicks off across the country, following a directive on illegal PSV's by the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Roads and Transport, Hon. Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen," the NTSA said in a press statement.
The action comes after the NTSA revealed in November that 3,609 people had died in traffic accidents in 2023, spanning the months of January to October.
