Former Rift Valley regional police commander Fredrick Ochieng is the new traffic commandant for the National Police Service.
This follows changes that were made Thursday September 19 by the Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat.
Ochieng had been sent to the National Counter Terrorism Centre since March 2022.
He swapped positions with the outgoing commandant Mary Omari.
In the change, the director of personnel at Kenya police service headquarters Jecinta Muthoni was moved to the Kenya National Focal Point.
Muthoni was replaced by Catherine Mugwe who was the staff officer training at police headquarters.
She will be deputized by Maiyek Ndiema.
Five heads of provincial traffic formations were moved.
On the other side, Nairobi’s Vitalis Otieno retired and was replaced by Paul Chirchir.
The other provincial traffic officers moved include those of Rift Valley, Eastern and Central.
Dozens of other divisional traffic bosses were moved in the changes.
Officials termed the changes normal aimed at enhancing police operations.
The traffic department is important in ensuring general safety of the country.
The changes come in the wake of increased accidents in the country amid calls to address the trend. Some 3,369 fatalities have been reported from January to September 16, 2024 following road accidents. The statistics reveal that the highest number of fatalities were pedestrians, totaling 1,281. Motorcyclists followed with 825 deaths, while 654 passengers and 281 drivers died in these accidents.
Some 292 pillion passengers died in the period under review as compared to 288 in 2023. Additionally, a staggering 16,979 individuals were affected by road traffic incidents during these first nine months after they were injured. Compared to the same period in 2023, when 3,151 people died in road accidents, this year’s figures represent a slight increase by 218.
In 2023, 1119 pedestrians were killed while 281 drivers died in separate accidents.
Some 572 passengers died in 2023 in the period under review while 825 motorcylists died in the same time. Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli expressed alarm over the upward trend in road traffic accidents. He stressed the need for the public and other road users to adhere to traffic regulations to mitigate further loss of life. He said corruption is one of the biggest contributors to the menace.
“We have many families suffering because of the accidents. We have to be serious to address this issue,” he said.
The meeting was aimed at addressing road safety concerns and to tackle corruption within the Traffic Unit. He called on the public to prioritize road safety and comply rigorously with traffic laws to help curb the rising number of fatalities.
The National Transport and Safety Authority says the leading causes of fatal crashes included hit-and-runs, tyre bursts, and vehicles and motorcycles losing control. Also overtaking improperly and failing to keep the proper lane resulting in head-on collisions are mentioned as causes.
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