All driving schools in Kenya are set to be de-registered and vetted afresh in the wake of increased road accidents on the country’s roads.
Acting Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i says human error remains the biggest cause of road accidents with hundreds of unqualified drivers taking to the wheel.
In a joint briefing with his transport counterpart CS James Macharia, Matiangi said mushrooming of fake driving schools was a major concern.
Matiang’i told journalists in Nairobi that deliberations with stakeholders could see the government clamp down on incompetency of driving schools for what he termed as “giving driving licenses to murderers.”
The Acting Interior CS added that the criteria to be used to evaluate qualified driving schools will be out within a week following deliberations between the Interior ministry, their Transport counterparts and the National Transport and Safety Authority.
“We have this morning directed for conditions one needs to register a driving school be set within 7 days,” Matiang’i added.
“To get a new driving license, you will have to fulfill certain conditions, including medical,” he affirmed. “We are reviewing the entire traffic department. The process is going on now.”
CS Macharia during the briefing also called out the Judiciary for rescinding some of the decisions taken against traffic police.
“We can’t ask for police officers to be dismissed and they promptly return with court orders. We will have a conversation with the Judiciary because they also drive on these roads and may be at harm to these people they are allowing on our roads.”
For this reason the national police service is now undertaking a major review of the traffic police department on how to instil discipline and professionalism
The new move by the government is already attracting the attention of stakeholders in the transport industry, with speed governor dealers’ chairman David Kiarie proposing charges against passengers and pedestrians who equally flout traffic rules.
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