Several Kenyans were arrested on the morning of Tuesday, March 26, during a countrywide crackdown launched by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) in conjunction with officers from the National Police Service (NPS).
Without giving a specific figure, a source at the authority told Kenyans.co.ke that the crackdown was targeting pedestrians crossing roads without utilising footbridges.
Photos shared with this writer showed that the most affected culprits were in Nairobi underneath the Nairobi Expressway.
Our source further confirmed that the crackdown is expected to last longer with police officers expected to advise on the charges the perpetrators will face in the court of law.
"Pedestrians must use available footbridges, walkways and other designated crossing points to ensure their safety," cautioned the authority.
"This morning, several pedestrians who failed to obey traffic rules were detained. To avoid any inconvenience, we urge pedestrians to observe traffic rules."
The exact number of those arrested could not be ascertained by the time of publishing this story since the crackdown was still ongoing across the country.
The crackdown comes as part of new reforms instituted in the sector by Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and his Interior counterpart Kithure Kindiki following a spike in accidents.
The operation launched at the beginning of March, which initially targeted motorists, led to the arrest of 22,958 drivers, 1,086 of whom faced prosecution over drunk driving.
According to accident statistics from NTSA, pedestrians also account for higher fatalities alongside motorcycle riders and passengers as well as public service vehicle passengers.
Motorcycle accidents, the top killer sector, account for 255 deaths out of the 763 fatalities recorded since the beginning of the year. 5,590 motorcyclists were apprehended and prosecuted while 6,692 motorcycles were detained during the crackdown.
Since January, NTSA data also showed that 252 pedestrians lost their lives compared to 190 recorded in the same period last year.
