KeNHA takes steps to reduce carnage along Kisii-Migori-Isebania Highway

Migori, Thursday, May 18, 2023,

KNA by Obuoyo Michael/George Agimba

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has put several steps in motion to ensure safe road use along the newly refurbished Kisii-Isebania highway.

Among the measures being implemented include erecting at strategic points road bumps, clear road signs and enforcing speed limits at specified areas.

The authority is also moving fast to direct all heavy commercial vehicles operating along the highway through Migori town to use the newly constructed by-pass from Kakrao Centre to join the Isebani- Sirare-Mwanza Corridor at Number junction.

The Authority through their Nyanza region director engineer Julius Mak’Oderoh says that the move will ease the traffic within the town and to reduce the number of accidents such as the two fatal ones that occurred recently within the town’s central business district (CBD)

Speaking during road safety awareness in Migori town, Eng. Mak’Oderoh blamed the accidents on un-roadworthy vehicles and haphazard motor and human parking along the highway within the town.

Engineer Mak’Oderoh said that both the Migori CBD accidents that happened within a span of less than a month claiming eleven lives and injuring many were caused as a result of break failures on the concerned trucks.

Consequently, the official who was flanked by the Migori County Commissioner (CC) David Gitonga issued a stern warning to owners of un-roadworthy vehicles operating the highway that they will be heavily punished unless they put their vehicles in good conditions.

He said in partnership with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) they will up efforts to crack down on those unworthy vehicles operating on all the roads to ensure no lives are lost carelessly

The body has put in place plans to have a number of virtual weighbridges and mobile patrol teams to help in covering areas that are out of surveillance, said Eng. Mak’Oderoh

This will enable in the arrest and prosecution of motorists flouting road safety rules and others operating without the number plates, he stressed.

KeNHA will also engage the County Government of Migori in ensuring that there is no overloading within the county and also to control the encroachment on the road reserves.

“In the event where the traders breach the laws, the county should withdraw the license of the trader, this will also apply to the drivers who will break laws. We will confiscate their licenses,” said Eng. Mak’Oderoh.        

They will also enforce a plan requiring trucks transporting building materials into the town to access the town the CBD only at night when highway is less congested.

The official emphasized on the need to engage SACCOs, as through these entities charging and prosecuting traffic defaulters will be much easier as SACCOs are more organized.

Courtesy; K.N.A