Twenty-one drivers were arrested in a joint inter-agency night operation on the Kakamega-Mumias Road, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) said. The Star reported that officers caught motorists driving drunk, driving without valid licences and using expired Public Service Vehicle (PSV) badges. Kenyans.co.ke reported that the arrests took place on Tuesday night and that the offences also included overspeeding.
Officers also found faults with the vehicles themselves. According to NTSA, these included cracked windscreens, worn-out tyres and expired inspection certificates. Some vehicles had invalid insurance, and others carried unprescribed number plates, The Eastleigh Voice reported.
The operation is part of NTSA's festive season campaign, Msimu Bila Ajali, Usalama Barabarani. The campaign pairs awareness drives for drivers and passengers with day and night checks on major roads. NTSA said it is prioritising night operations because evening and late-night hours are among the deadliest times on Kenyan roads. "By allocating additional resources during these high-risk hours, we can maximise efforts to disrupt the critical risk factors that cause preventable road traffic crashes," the authority said.
Officers at checkpoints are looking for speeding, faulty speed limiters and overloading. Long-distance operators must produce passenger manifests, driver logs, valid Road Service Licences and inspection certificates. Drivers must take breathalyser tests and show their licences and PSV badges. The Eastleigh Voice reported that anyone found culpable of drink-driving will be charged under the Traffic Act.
On Wednesday, NTSA also ordered long-distance PSV operators to keep two drivers on board at all times, Kenyans.co.ke reported. The authority said the rule aims to reduce fatigue, which it has long identified as a major cause of crashes. NTSA also named overspeeding, reckless overtaking and drunk driving as leading causes.
NTSA warned motorists about fake speeding notices. It said official alerts come only by SMS from the sender ID NTSA. It also urged passengers to wear seatbelts for the whole journey. The Eastleigh Voice reported that the Kakamega arrests came days after NTSA arrested 12 drivers in a separate crackdown in Meru County.