Road safety drive launched

Apr 28, 2011

THE African Road Safety Initiative (ARSI) has been launched in Kenya and Uganda with a call to reduce motor accidents.

By M. Nampala , R. Olita and F. Odeke

THE African Road Safety Initiative (ARSI) has been launched in Kenya and Uganda with a call to reduce motor accidents.

World Bank country director for Kenya and Rwanda Johannes Zutt said the bank estimates 1.3 million people are killed and 50 million are injured or disabled in motor accidents.

“Majority of the victims are pedestrians aged between 20-35 years,” he added.

“Zutt disclosed that most of the accidents occured in middle and low income countries where road safety consciousness and law enforcement are low,”

He said Africa loses 1.5% of its gross domestic product to accidents annually.

zutt expressed fear that motor accidents would increase to 66% by 2020 if no action is taken.

The programme was financed by the World Bank and Total.

Under the Northern corridor, the world bank has provided over $460m for the construction of the Mombasa-Malaba highway, whose construction has started from Eldoret.

Kenyan prime minister Raila Odinga, in a speech read by sports minister Paul Otuoma, said Kenya records over 12,000 accidents annually.

He said this involves 26,000 motor vehicles with 3,000 people dying and 9,000 injured.

The first deputy Prime Minister, Eriya Kategaya, said the concept of road safety is not wholistically the responsibility of the Government but also calls for the involvement of development partners.

The works minister, John Nasasira, said for the last 10 years, road accidents in Uganda had increased to 14,000 per year.

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