Over 11,000 arrested in matatu crackdown

At least 11,231 Kenyans were arrested between Monday and Friday as police enforced a government directive for strict compliance with traffic laws, a Sunday Nation analysis shows.

As a result, the government collected millions of shillings fines from various traffic offenders across the country in the intensified inspections.

Regional data from various traffic courts and police sources indicate that in the first week of the crackdown, 1,200 people were arrested in Nairobi; 5,600 in Central; 2,389 in Nyanza and 2,402 in Western.

COMMON OFFENCES

In Nairobi, common offences that saw hundreds taken to court included failing to fasten seat belts, pedestrians crossing the road at the wrong places, motorists exceeding the speed limit, obstruction, driving defective motor vehicles and touting.

For the penalties, the minimum fine imposed was Sh500 for failing to fasten a safety belt while the highest ever charged was driving a defective vehicle that attracted a penalty of Sh150,000.

Principal Magistrate Benson Nzakyo, who spoke to Sunday Nation a few weeks ago, said fines imposed on defective vehicles depend on the number of defects. Some of the drivers do not have head lights or inspection stickers, he said.

TOUTING

Those found touting or doing the business of a bus conductor without a license were fined Sh2,000.

To ease the payments of fines for offenders, the Judiciary had made arrangements including having a Kenya Commercial Bank agent inside the courtroom as well as employing more account clerks inside the courtrooms.

An M-Pesa PayBill number has also been displayed in the courtroom for those that seek to pay their fines through the mobile payment platform. Offenders who have pleaded guilty pay their fines as the magistrate continues with other cases.

Before the traffic police started the enforcement on Monday, the traffic court at Milimani used to handle between 100 and 200 offenders in a day. But since the crackdown began, the numbers have shot up. On Friday alone, 500 people were charged.

In the Central, regional commissioner Wilson Njega said among those arrested, 3,481 were passengers and 451 were bodaboda operators.

A total of 1,690 vehicles were also detained and drivers arrested for flouting traffic laws within the five counties of Nyeri, Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyandarua and Kirinyaga.

BODABODAS

Most bodaboda riders were arrested for lacking helmets, licences, insurance and carrying an extra pillion passenger.

Majority of the Public Service Vehicles (PSV) detained were found to be unroadworthy, had invalid inspection certificates and had no insurance. Others were carrying excess passengers while others had defective speed governors.

Mr Njega said two drivers were arrested for attempting to bribe traffic officers tasked with enforcing the road safety rules.

He said a good number of the passengers arrested had failed to fasten safety belts when the vehicle is in motion and others boarded a vehicle that is already occupied to capacity. Both the passengers and the driver were fined Sh500 each for each of the offence.

“It is a continuous process and we want to rid of unroadworthy vehicles from public roads. We are also dealing with extortion groups that demand illegal fees from matatu owners and drivers at the bus termini,” said Mr Njega.

'MUCHUKI RULES'

In Nyanza, regional police boss Leonard Katana said that out of the 2,389 people arrested, non-public service drivers arrested for flouting the “Michuki” rules were 230 while public service vehicle drivers were 181.

The rest of the figure was made up of conductors arrested for not putting on uniforms, passengers who boarded overloaded vehicles and those who failed to fasten their seat belts and matatu owners who allowed their vehicle on the road without meeting the regulations. It also included tuk tuk and motorcycle operators among others.

At the traffic offence registry of the Kisumu law courts, the Sunday Nation established that 142 people had been charged with various traffic offences by Thursday noon.

Some of the charges against them included driving a PSV with tinted windows, obstruction, displaying an unapproved photograph, failing to conform with the indications given by the Traffic Act and failing to stop after being flagged down by an officer in uniform.

One person had been fined Sh30,000 or be jailed for two months for driving an unroadworthy motor vehicle — the highest penalty imposed on an offender at the court last week. The least fine was Sh300 for failing to fasten a seat belt.

In Homa Bay, up to 288 traffic offences were committed and the offenders arrested and charged in Homa Bay County between November 12 and November 15.

FINES

Various courts in the county were able to raise Sh421,500 as fines from the said offences in the same period. Up to 54 public service vehicle drivers and three touts were arrested between Monday and Thursday.

Statistics from the police indicated that 48 other private drivers were also arrested for various traffic offences. Police detained 35 public service vehicles. One was operating without seat belts.

“Some drivers were arrested and their vehicles released after brief inspection. These drivers lacked some requirements like uniforms and licenses,” said county police commander Marius Tum.

In Western, the regional traffic enforcement officer, Mr Saitera Mwita, said a total of Sh1.2 million was imposed as fines in the first two days of the operation.

“We still have some cases pending before courts and we are still compiling details on the amount of fines to update our records,” said Mr Saitera.

DEFECTIVE VEHICLES

At the Kakamega law courts, records indicate that 160 offenders were charged for various traffic offences which included causing obstruction, speeding and driving a motor vehicle without a licence.

Matatu drivers across the region faced charges related to defective motor vehicles and failing to display motor vehicle inspection certificates.

Some drivers found themselves in trouble for driving an unauthorised class of vehicles and failing to stop at police road blocks.

Several boda boda operators were arrested for using uninsured motorcycles and failing to wear helmets.

In Mumias town, 88 traffic offenders were arraigned in court for various traffic offences since Monday.

The court has raised Sh300,000 in fines from the offenders. The Vihiga magistrate’s court has handled 112 traffic cases since the start of the crackdown.

Reporting by Sam Kiplagat, Joseph Wangui, Victor Otieno, Derrick Luvega, Benson Amadala and Shaban Makokha