‘Boda boda sector responsible for most accidents’ – Murkomen

Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen has pinpointed the boda boda sector as the primary cause of the country's high rate of road accidents.

Speaking at the launch of the National Road Safety Action Plan 2024-2028 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi County, Murkomen noted the urgency of addressing the challenges posed by the boda boda sector.

"If we are going to sort out the accident issue, we have to sort out the boda boda sector. The leading cause of accidents right now is the boda boda industry," he said.

The CS compared past statistics, revealing a shift in the leading causes of accidents over the years noting that recent data reveals that boda boda takes centre stage in road accidents.

"From 2000 to 2008, it used to be the public service and private vehicles. 38 per cent of people we loose are pedestrians, 32 per cent are boda boda riders and 26 per cent are lost through public an private vehicle accidents. Meaning, if we are to prevent deaths of pedestrians knocked off in Nairobi and other parts of the country, we have to sort out the boda boda sector."

He also drew attention to neighbouring countries noting that they have managed to control and manage riders that they each wear safety helmets.

CS Murkomen: If we're going to sort out the accident issue, we have to deal with the boda boda sector pic.twitter.com/osf4oTZC1f— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) April 17, 2024

Murkomen questioned Kenya's inability to implement such regulations to ensure safe of the boda boda riders.

"We should ask ourselves how come to our neighbouring countries have managed to organize the boda boda sector that everyone wears a helmet," Murkomen said.

murkomen blames Kenyans

This comes days after the CS rubbished claims that his officers bear responsibility for the surge in road accidents claiming numerous lives over the past three months.

Murkomen emphasized the collective duty of all Kenyans to adhere to traffic regulations.

He urged the public to reflect on their roles in preventing accidents.

Addressing concerns at Transcom House, he lamented the staggering statistics: 470 pedestrians, 105 pillion passengers, and 300 riders lost due to reckless behaviour on roads.

Murkomen urged the public to channel their anger towards the Traffic Police Department and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), asserting that both entities bear the responsibility for ensuring road safety.

“So many people are obsessed with the Transport Cabinet Secretary, every time anything happens, they ask, where is the minister? People even enter into an overloaded vehicle and they take videos and pictures and ask, where is Murkomen? He has failed. Murkomen has failed,” Murkomen said.