Aasai

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has raised new concerns about the increase in the number of accidents caused by the negligence of driving miraa, warning that the situation is extreme and a threat to national security. 

Speaking at the Kirinyaga Safety Forum conference on Friday, Waiguru said the Embu–Mwea highway has become a dangerous area, with miraa vehicles frequently involved in serious accidents. He admitted that despite several measures, including the installation of ridges, accidents have continued, leaving county authorities depressed. 

"We have had many accidents on our road from Embu to Mwea because of miraa cars. Weve tried to close the bumps, but I don know what to do now," he said. The governor revealed that Kirinyaga alone has lost about 25 lives due to accidents involving miraa cars in the past year. 

He added that the number may be higher compared to the statistics of the neighboring counties of Embu and Muranga, where miraa transport vehicles also pass through. "In just one year, weve lost about 25 lives. That is too much life to lose in Kirinyaga. If Kirinyaga is 25 years old, I don know how many have died in Embu or left here for Muranga," Waiguru said, citing the situation as a matter of national importance. Waiguru proposed several drastic measures, including the installation of speed controls on miraa vehicles, diverting them from high-risk areas, or stricter enforcement of traffic laws. 

While he stopped calling for a ban, he said that decisive action was necessary to save lives. "We could be more aggressive with those cars. I don want to say we should ban them, but maybe we should consider changing the way," he added. The governor asked for the Interior Ministrys support in implementing more robust implementation strategies. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who was also present during the event, echoed his concerns and reiterated the governments commitment to tackling reckless miraa drivers.

Waiguru emphasized that the issue is not only a county issue but a broad national security challenge.The governor now wants various stakeholders to cooperate and come up with a legal system in pilka pilka to reduce the increase in road accidents here in Kenya in recent days.

At the same time, he has encouraged drivers to be careful when using the road to be careful so that accidents in the country can be reduced, a statement that was emphasized by Minister Kipchumba Murkomen