Ministry vows to effect new laws to the letter

The government won’t turn back on the implementation of the new traffic rules, Transport Permanent Secretary Cyrus Njiru has said.

Mr Njiru said the new laws were meant to enhance order on roads, adding that the rules will be applied without prejudice.

“There cannot be compromise on the existence of law and order. The ministry of Transport is not at war with any road user, and certainly not the PSVs,” he said on Friday after a meeting with various government officials, including Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe, in Nairobi.

The law, he said, was developed through consultations with all stakeholders in the transport sector and it was wrong for matatu operators to oppose it after enactment.

Mr Njiru said that the cost of not obeying the law is too high, and that the government would not allow more deaths on the roads due to careless and drunk driving.

“The reasoning of make it cheaper so that we can break the law should not be allowed. We cannot do that in a country that has just passed a new Constitution,” Mr Njiru said.

He added that the government would continue facilitating investment in the sector. “You need to conduct orderly business which is profitable. The government is not into the business of buying vehicles to transport people”.

Mr Kiraithe said the government upholds the right of people to strike but would not allow them to disrupt peace.

“Police have been asked to arrest those obstructing roads and any vehicles used to obstruct the roads should be removed through any legitimate means necessary, including bulldozers,” he said.

In Naivasha, police lobbed tear gas canisters at a group of youths who had barricaded the busy Kenyatta Avenue, protesting the laws that take effect on Saturday.

Trouble started in the morning when the youths joined striking matatu operators but started blocking several roads to hamper other motorists from ferrying passengers.

Anti-riot police arrived hours later and dispersed the youths as stranded commuters watched from a distance.

The protesters engaged the officers in running battles for hours. Four people were arrested in the early morning drama.

Exploit travellers

The group that was worst-hit by the matatu strike were flower farm employees, who had to walk to their work stations.

Later, Naivasha police chief Charles Kortok held a meeting with the striking drivers and conductors and asked them to dissuade their supporters from blocking the roads.

“We will deal decisively with all those blocking transport and other activities within the town,” he warned.

In Nakuru there were very few vehicles that were serving the busy Nakuru-Nairobi route.

The operators took advantage of the strike to exploit travellers by charging Sh800 up from the usual Sh300.

In Narok and Nyahururu hundreds of commuters were stranded after the operators in Narok town joined the go-slow. Huge crowds jammed booking offices to Nairobi, Nakuru, Bomet, Kisii and Kericho all day but there were no vehicles.

Reports by Oliver Mathenge, Macharia Mwangi, Oliver Mulanda, George Sayagie and David Macharia