Chief Justice Martha Koome has announced a comprehensive overhaul of traffic enforcement and judicial proceedings, effective immediately, to curb the alarming rise in road accidents during the festive season. The new measures include the immediate deployment of mobile courts and a significant increase in the presence of enforcement officers on high-risk corridors.
Starting today, Monday, December 15, motorists can expect an increased presence of officers from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the Police, and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) across the country’s major roads.
Judiciary to Deploy Mobile Courts
The Judiciary will be mounting mobile courts along major transport corridors to swiftly deal with traffic offenders. This move is designed to ensure immediate accountability for drivers who violate traffic laws during the festive period, with plans for the system to be scaled up permanently in the future.
The CJ, who chairs the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ)—an elaborate committee including the ODPP, NTSA, and the Police—stated that the initiative aims to strengthen multi-agency coordination.
“We want to strengthen multi-agency coordination and information sharing for a unified and practical approach to enforcing traffic rules and regulations and the overall administration of justice during the festive season and beyond,” Koome said.
“We will deploy mobile courts using physical and electronic means as a deterrent and enforcement measure with close collaboration with officers from the National Police Service, ODPP, Judiciary, NTSA, EACC, Kenya Prisons Service, and LSK,” she added.
Koome confirmed that the Judiciary would provide the exact locations of the mobile courts and ensure charged individuals have the necessary resources to contact legal representation.
Focus on Compliance and Corruption
The crackdown is fueled by recent tragic figures; according to the CJ, at least $28$ deaths have been reported from road accidents in the first two weeks of December alone, with over half occurring in the preceding two days.
To address this, the NTSA will reinforce surveillance on high-risk corridors to ensure motorists comply with road regulations.
Crucially, the EACC will also deploy officers alongside traffic police to monitor and nab both motorists and law enforcement officers who attempt to engage in corruption along the roads.
“We want to rationalise joint enforcement and feasibility across the country and especially in high-risk corridors to handle traffic matters instantly during the festive season,” Koome concluded.