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Matatu Owners Association boss blames police over surge in road accidents
12th August, 2025 10:55 AM
Matatu Owners Association (MOA) President Albert Karakacha has accused traffic police officers of fueling the rising number of road safety violations through rampant bribery.
In a TV interview on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, Karakacha said police, who are mandated to enforce traffic laws daily, have abandoned their duties in exchange for illicit payments amid a worrying surge in road accidents across the country.
“When it comes to the issue of safety, the police are supposed to be there daily to ensure that people are adhering to road safety rules. But because of the bribes they collect, they don’t care. It’s only when an accident occurs that the government rushes in,” he said.
Karakacha noted that Kenya’s road safety crisis is not a sudden development, claiming experts had already warned the government of an impending disaster.
“Our roads are not safe, and whatever is happening, the government is aware of it. It is not something that has come out of nowhere, because as road safety experts, we had warned them that in two years, these things would happen, and now they are happening,” he added.
He stressed that road safety depends on strict adherence to laws and on all relevant authorities playing their roles as intended. Without this commitment, he warned, fatalities would continue to rise.
Spike in accidents raises alarm nationwide
Karakacha’s remarks come against the backdrop of a sharp increase in road crashes that has alarmed both the public and government officials. Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Davis Chirchir has strongly condemned the recent surge in traffic accidents, urging all road users to strictly observe safety regulations.
In a statement issued on Monday, August 11, 2025, Chirchir sent condolences to families who lost loved ones and wished a quick recovery to those injured in the recent incidents. He warned that without collective responsibility, the loss of lives on Kenyan roads would continue to spiral.
According to the Ministry of Roads and Transport statistics, 2,933 people have died in road accidents between January and August 10, 2025. Alarmingly, 80 of these fatalities were recorded in just the past four days. The recent spike has involved public service vehicles, private cars, and commercial trucks.
