By Kavinga Titus
The County Government of Kitui, in partnership with the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA), and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), has today conducted a road safety training targeting school children and other road users.
The initiative, held in commemoration of the United Nations Global Road Safety Week, aims to reduce road accidents involving school-going children by equipping them with vital knowledge on road safety rules.
Led by Kitui’s Deputy Director of Administration, Michael Mulevu, officers visited various schools across the county to educate students and other road users on safe practices, especially while crossing busy roads and highways.
Speaking to the media after the training, Mulevu noted that a majority of road accidents result from the failure to observe traffic rules.
He recalled several incidents where students were hit by speeding vehicles while on their way to school, stressing the urgency of such safety campaigns.
“Towards the end of last year, we lost six pupils who were hit by a speeding Probox while crossing the Kibwezi–Kitui road. Had they been properly trained on how to cross safely, perhaps the tragedy could have been avoided,” Mulevu said.
He added that County hospitals continue to receive numerous accident victims, many of whom could have been spared through proper road safety education.
The Head Teacher of Kathivo Primary School, Mrs. E. Mulevu, welcomed the initiative, describing it as timely and crucial.
She noted the pain that schools experience when they lose learners to preventable accidents and urged the County Government, NTSA, and other stakeholders to scale up the trainings to cover more schools.
Kitui County Traffic Enforcement Officer Agness Magiri also used the occasion to caution drivers against speeding near school zones.
She emphasized the importance of observing traffic rules at all times to protect the lives of young pedestrians.
