Motorists should expect an increased presence of the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), police officers, and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officials on major roads starting today, Chief Justice Martha Koome has announced.
The move comes as the Judiciary rolls out mobile courts along key transport corridors to deal with traffic offences instantly during the festive season.
Speaking on Monday, December 15, Koome said the mobile courts will be used to charge drivers who violate traffic laws on the spot, a strategy that will later be expanded beyond the holiday period.
Mobile Courts to Handle Traffic Offences Immediately
According to the Chief Justice, the initiative is part of a broader multi-agency strategy spearheaded by the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) to curb road accidents during the festive season.
The NCAJ brings together institutions including the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), NTSA, National Police Service, Judiciary, EACC, and other justice-sector agencies. Koome chairs the 36-member council.
“The courts will be utilised for charging drivers who violate road traffic laws immediately during the festive season, with plans to scale up in the future,” Koome stated.
She added that the Judiciary will publicly provide the locations where mobile courts will be stationed and will also ensure that suspects have access to resources needed to contact their legal representatives.
Multi-Agency Crackdown on Traffic Violations and Corruption
Koome emphasized that the strategy aims to strengthen coordination and information sharing among enforcement agencies to improve compliance with traffic regulations.
“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,” she said.
The Chief Justice revealed that mobile courts will be deployed using both physical and electronic means as a deterrent and enforcement measure.
“We will deploy mobile courts using physical and electronic means with close collaboration with officers from the National Police Service, ODPP, Judiciary, NTSA, EACC, Kenya Prisons Service, and the Law Society of Kenya,” Koome added.
Rising Road Deaths Prompt Urgent Action
The intensified enforcement comes amid alarming road accident statistics.
Koome disclosed that at least 28 people have died in road accidents in the first two weeks of December, with more than half of the fatalities recorded in just the past two days.
In response, NTSA will reinforce surveillance on high-risk transport corridors to ensure motorists comply with traffic regulations.
EACC to Target Bribery on the Roads
In a significant move, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission will deploy officers along major roads to arrest both motorists and traffic police officers found engaging in corruption.
“We want to rationalise joint enforcement and feasibility across the country, especially in high-risk corridors, to handle traffic matters instantly during the festive season,” Koome stated.
Ensuring Public Safety During the Festive Season
The Chief Justice concluded by affirming that the new measures are critical to protecting public safety at a time when the movement of people and goods significantly increases.
She said the Judiciary and partner agencies are committed to ensuring that traffic laws are enforced firmly, fairly, and transparently throughout the festive period and beyond.