Miraa Drivers Face Stern Crackdown on Highway
Murkomen supported Waiguru’s proposal and acted quickly to order an immediate crackdown. He instructed the Kirinyaga County Traffic Commander
Murkomen indicated that efforts to engage miraa drivers and their owners in negotiations had not yielded results. He further indicated that the Eastern Regional Commissioner once invited them for a meeting but they turned down the offer. Photo/ Courtesy
By Juliet Jerotich
The government has vowed a hardline on reckless miraa drivers operating on the Mwea–Embu Road in Kirinyaga County. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said this during a Jukwaa La Usalama meeting in Kerugoya. He warned that miraa vehicles, driven largely at risk-taking speeds, continue risking the lives of the people in Kirinyaga and Embu counties.
Murkomen indicated that efforts to engage miraa drivers and their owners in negotiations had not yielded results. He further indicated that the Eastern Regional Commissioner once invited them for a meeting, but they turned down the offer. The CS declared that the government will henceforth deploy stern steps to take back the road and improve safety. He directed police officers to move decisively and without fear of reprisals against those who disregard the law.
Governor Anne Waiguru seconded the CS, expressing miraa-related crashes as a very serious matter in the county. She revealed that 25 people were killed in such accidents within Kirinyaga within the past year. She noted that the true number is likely to be higher when cases from neighboring counties are included. Waiguru referred to the trend as a disturbing threat to children in schools and families.
She acknowledged that miraa is a perishable commodity, but that no harvest should take precedence over human life. The governor proposed more extensive consultations to help impose order in the transport sector. She urged authorities to think about new measures, including re-routing miraa vehicles on alternative routes and requiring the installation of speed governors.
Murkomen supported Waiguru’s proposal and acted quickly to order an immediate crackdown. He instructed the Kirinyaga County Traffic Commander to start taking enforcement action against reckless miraa motorists. He noted that officers were to use all legal means available to stamp out over speeding. The CS maintained that lives must be prioritized over profits and issued a warning that the government would never sacrifice road safety.
Kerugoya traffic police recognized that it is difficult to impound miraa drivers. They said they faced resistance, intimidation, and threats from the players in the trade. Despite all those challenges, Murkomen maintained that stringent action was the only way lives could be saved and normalcy on the busy road re-established.
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