January 24, 2024 (Public Communication and Media Relations)

Turkana Deputy Governor Dr. John Erus today presided over the official opening of a three-day workshop on road safety for county government drivers jointly organised by the Department of Roads, Transport, and Public Works.

Speaking during the event, DG Erus explained that the training aimed to refresh drivers’ knowledge of safety measures in line with the rapid changes witnessed in transport and road use patterns of contemporary times.

DG Erus emphasised the County’s commitment to promoting the well-being of drivers and announced that the county would work closely with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to advance drivers’ awareness of road safety rules moving forward.

“This is training that you ought to take seriously. It is meant to remind you of the basic rules of self-discipline, etiquette, and the right procedures for managing the government vehicle under your care,” DG Erus told the drivers.

DG Erus warned that the County Government would not hesitate to take action against drivers whose behaviors and actions threatened the safety of their passengers, government vehicles, and road users.

County Executive for Roads, Transport and Public Works Patrick Lokaimoe reminded drivers of the existence of the County Directorate of Transport, responsible for the management of all drivers and government vehicles. He asked them to make use of the staff and seek assistance when in need.

County Secretary Peter Eripete reiterated the position echoed by the Deputy Governor on the drivers’ obligation to exercise care of the government vehicles allocated to them.

CS Eripete clarified that the drivers would be individually responsible for the payment of costs suffered due to the breaking of traffic laws and non-observance of road safety measures.

The training comes at a time when the burden of crashes, injuries, and fatalities is on the rise in Kenya.

The local public in Turkana has severally called for attitude change among county drivers promoting the need for refresher training.

The National and County Governments have significantly improved the road infrastructure in Turkana by installing modern A1 roads with well-defined roundabouts, flyovers, and one-way dual carriage lanes, all of which were initially not available in the County.

It is expected that the training will expose the drivers to the NTSA Policy Guideline for Government Departments that was released in 2020 to support the mainstream of road safety in Kenya and promote the continuous training of government drivers through refresher courses.

Mark Achilla (Chief Officer for Roads and Transport), Abong Benard (Director for Transport), Amui John (Administrator, Roads), and Joseph Lotims (Senior HRO, Roads) were present.

Upper North Rift Regional Manager of NTSA, Cyprian Nyaose, and Isaac Kandie (Traffic Base Commander) were also present.