Interior CS Kithure Kindiki speaking after a consultative meeting with alcoholic drinks manufacturers at GSU training school in Utawala, Nairobi on March 12th 2024. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

The government will launch crackdown on traffic law offenders in a bid to curb road accidents that continue to claim lives in the country.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said road accidents in the country are alarming and have now become a national crisis.

"On Monday alone, we lost about 16 people in various road accidents. In Voi, Taita Taveta county we lost more than 12 university students. So many families are undergoing difficult times, some have been forced to sell their land to buy medication for accident victims," Prof Kindiki said.

The CS who was speaking in Kisumu West during the official opening of the sub-county administration offices revealed that his ministry has put in place measures to curb road accidents.

"The time has come that as a country we have to look into this issue of road accidents. We are going to come up with nationwide law enforcement measures against traffic offenses such as drink driving, and unroadworthy vehicles and we will be very firm with all road users," he stated.

He termed road accidents as more dangerous compared to other national calamities that the country has faced such as the Covid-19 pandemic, owing to the number of people who have succumbed or have been incapacitated.

The CS challenged Kenyans to join the fight against corruption saying it is the lead contributor to road accidents.