CS Nkaissery: President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto only individuals whose vehicles can have sirens, lights

NAIROBI: Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery has ordered police to impound unauthorised vehicles with sirens and strobe lights.

Nkaissery said only ambulances, police, fire engines, President and Deputy President’s are allowed to have the sirens and ordered traffic police to impound any other vehicle with such gadgets and prosecute the drivers.

He ordered that those fitted with the gadgets be removed immediately.

He made the order following growing complaints from the public that many VIPs move in town with sirens which causes disturbance.

The traffic Act says it is only the president, police vehicles ambulances and fire engines that are allowed to have a right of way and sirens.

But some of the so called VIPs have been fitting their vehicles with sirens which they use to gain the right of way.

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Funeral homes have also been singled out by Nkaissery as among those guilty of misusing sirens.

“For purpose of clarity, other than the President and the Deputy President the only other vehicles which are supposed to have sirens are police vehicles, ambulances and fire engines,” said the minister.

He added any other vehicle which does not fall in any of the three classes should not be fitted with a siren for whatever purposes.

Nkaissery said there have been instances where some individuals and organisations have abused the laws and rules governing the use of the sirens by fitting in the gadgets.

Nkaissery has also cautioned matatu operators against installing horns that mimic the sounds that sirens make

“Some PSVs have been known to have horns which resemble sirens. Similarly some funeral homes have also been noted to fit their vehicles with sirens.”

Nkaissery said unwarranted or abusing use of sirens may have the net effect of attracting unnecessary contempt and even making motorists to be reluctant to give way, thereby jeopardizing genuine cases where the same is being used.

A similar order had been issued in 2005 by former police boss Maj-Gen Hussein Ali but was ignored few months later out of impunity.

One of the notorious VIPs is Senator Mike Sonko and a number of Cabinet Secretaries including Nkaissery himself. But the CSs are usually accompanied by chase cars occupied by police.

Traffic police are always angered whenever the so called “fortified” drive past them and especially on traffic jams because some of them have a motorcade running up to seven cars.

Sonko had refused to take off the siren and said he will continue using the car, a Mercedes Benz, even though Senate chiefs had demanded its removal.

The Chief Justice, Central Bank Governor, the Speakers of the National Assembly, Inspector General of police, his deputies, the Chief of Defence Forces, Senate Majority leaders and a number of individuals are also in the league of the fortified.