The Long Distance Drivers and Conductors Association (LoDDCA) has called for urgent, enforceable action on road safety after a road accident at Kanga, near Mtito Andei, on the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway reportedly claimed 24 lives.
In a press statement dated Oct. 25, the association expressed deep sadness over the deaths, extended condolences to the bereaved and wished the injured a speedy recovery. “These were lives that should not have been lost,” it said.
LoDDCA said it has consistently pushed for road safety to be declared a national disaster. It welcomed a similar call from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and urged the government to turn it into “decisive action, stronger enforcement and accountability.”
- NTSA should hold SACCOs and transport companies accountable where they knowingly allow unroadworthy vehicles on the roads. LoDDCA said the mentality of “Enda urudi, tutatengeneza” (roughly, “go and come back, we will fix it later”) “must end.” It added: “No commercial deadline is worth a human life.”
- Protect drivers and crew. Fatigue, excessive working hours, inadequate rest and pressure to operate unsafe vehicles endanger everyone on the road, the association said. It wants NTSA and labour authorities to enforce road safety and labour laws so that drivers and crew “are not forced to choose between their safety and their livelihoods.”
- Involve frontline stakeholders. NTSA should meaningfully engage drivers, conductors, transport associations and other stakeholders when designing and implementing safety interventions, since those who understand the daily realities of the roads “must have a voice.”
- Turn the national disaster call into action. LoDDCA urged a coordinated, time-bound national response with clear responsibilities, measurable targets and transparent reporting on progress in cutting road deaths.
The association also called for a thorough investigation into the Kanga crash, with the findings and corrective measures made public.
“Our position is clear: road safety cannot be a conversation we have only after lives have been lost. Prevention, enforcement and accountability must come first,” the statement said.
LoDDCA said it remains committed to working with the government and stakeholders to make roads safer and protect the dignity, welfare and lives of drivers and conductors. “Human life must come before profit, deadlines and convenience,” it concluded.
