Road Safety Body Seeks Cancellation of Licenses Issued Over Past Six Years

The Road Safety Association of Kenya (RSAK) has made an urgent and drastic call for action, demanding the immediate suspension of all driving licenses acquired over the past six years. National Chairman David Kiarie claims that an alarming 80 percent of these licenses are "bogus," arguing that the holders skipped mandatory driving school training. This widespread fraudulent acquisition is the root cause of the escalating road carnage in the country, according to the association.

Kiarie highlighted the severe nature of the crisis, noting that national road fatalities jumped 10 percent, from 4,324 in 2023 to 4,748 last year, with over 300 lives lost since January of this year alone. He cited the recent tragic weekend where over 20 Kenyans died in accidents, including a matatu-truck crash that claimed 16 lives. RSAK insists that the government must cancel these suspect licenses and force the drivers to undergo proper retraining.

The association sharply criticized relevant government agencies for neglecting stakeholder concerns, specifically pointing out that key players such as driving schools, speed limiter suppliers, and public service vehicle bodybuilders were excluded from a recent National Road Safety Conference. Kiarie also opposed the National Transport and Safety Authority’s (NTSA) plan to privatize core services, warning this would further jeopardize road safety, concluding that the government must replace "lip service" with decisive, serious, and practical fixes on the ground.