CS Murkomen’s Directive On Hawkers To Vacate Road Reserves Was Well Thought Out
The Mt Kenya Times 
Transport Cabinet Kipchumba Murkomen
By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- The hawkers would not wait for the dust to settle. One day later, they returned to back to the same scene of the accident. They started doing their business with some constructing makeshift structures. What lesson do we learn here? Kenyans do not respect their leaders. Besides, they do not care or value their lives.
- The sanctity of human life is sacrosanct but to them this is just a song to them.
- I had previously interacted closely with CS Murkomen. This is when he served as a board member of Youth Agenda (YAA). I was a member of the secretariat.
The other day Kenyans woke up to a sad and heart-breaking news of a grisly road accident that claimed the lives of more 55 people and left dozens of others nursing serious injuries.
The accident that occurred at Londiani Junction in Kericho County was caused by a trailer ferrying cement to Rwanda and it bore the registration number of that country. The driver, a Rwandese, is among those who perished.
The witnesses further stated. The trailer’s brake had failed and the driver lost control of it after hitting a bump.
As a result, the trailer rammed into five Nissan Matatu, run over dozens of the hawkers, customers and pedestrians.
The matatus which were picking the passengers besides the road were almost full.
This place serves as an open air market for the travellers heading to Kericho , Kisumu and the area residents.
As a result, most of the victims were the hawkers. This accident happened in evening at around 6.30 pm when there is always a booming business in this market.
So, a number of the people living around this area, their relatives and neighbors returning back from work also lost their lives. This is the time they were buying foodstuff and doing shopping.
It is also worth to note that this disaster was exacerbated by the detachment of the trailer and the driver’s cabin.
The trailer rolled on one side of the road reserve before landing in a ditch.
The cabin crashed on the other side.
Transport Cabinet Kipchumba Murkomen was the first to arrive at the scene just minutes after the sad news of the deadly accident broke out.
He looked extremely shocked, devastated and saddened.
This not an accident. This is a disaster. This is castrophic. It is indeed very sad and painful to lose all these people at one go. Very sad.
He added: As a government, I want to assure the people of Kenya that this will not happen again.
As the CS incharge, I’m shortly going to give the directives on how we are deal with this.
He set the ball before leaving the scene by stating. Moving forward, the hawkers operating businesses along the road reserves will be relocated.
Here in Londiani, we are going to buy land near this place and build a market.
This will be replicated in other parts of country.
We are going to give this a priority because the cardinal responsibility of the government is to protect lives of its citizens.
A few minutes later, the CS released a statement outlining nine directives.
This included ensuring all the drivers sat for a competency and road safety tests. NTSA should only renew the driving licenses of those who pass.
The CS’s interventions were well thought out and meant for the good of our country.
However, this is the question that would come to my mind. Will the hawkers and drivers heed his call?
The hawkers would not wait for the dust to settle. One day later, they returned to back to the same scene of the accident. They started doing their business with some constructing makeshift structures. What lesson do we learn here? Kenyans do not respect their leaders. Besides, they do not care or value their lives.
The sanctity of human life is sacrosanct but to them this is just a song to them.
I had previously interacted closely with CS Murkomen. This is when he served as a board member of Youth Agenda (YAA). I was a member of the secretariat.
He was a performer, a person who means his words. He stood firm in articulating and defending the vision and goals of YAA, a youth NGO.
I knew he was poised for big and great things. My prayers came to pass.
Today, he is a CS heading one of the key ministries in Kenya.
Given this background, I’m sure he is going to stand firm. This is in terms of ensuring that his directives have been adhered to.
Notably, when an accident or a disaster happens in this country, survivors, their families and Kenyans would always point a finger at the government. This government promised to protect our lives: it is not keeping the promises blah, blah, blah.
The CS is aware of this and as a Christian he also values the sanctity of human life.
I have heard the argument of the hawkers. Where does the CS want us to go? This is our source of livelihoods. We have children in schools and families to take care of.
I want to ask the hawkers this question. Between your life and that business you are running on a road reserve, what is more important?
The CS understands all your concerns. He is not telling you not to do your business. He just want to relocate to a safer area.
This is not far from the road and so you are not going to lose your customers.
Here, I want to give the hawkers unsolicited advise. You are free to continue selling your goods but avoid putting them on road reserves.
Some of you are mothers and fathers. If another accident occurs (God forbid) and you end up losing your lives, your children will never see you again. Chances are that they will live a miserable life for the rest of thier lives.
For Murkomen to succeed, he will need financial resources and support of other line ministries and departments. I would also expect the leadership of the county government of Kericho to fully support his efforts.
President William Ruto has also been expressing his disappointments and heart felt concerns regarding the increase of the road accidents and other disasters.
Some of them were caused by citizens’ don’t-care-altitude and reckless behaviors. So they can be avoided. He would, therefore, challenge the relevant arms of the government to pull up thier socks and come up with effective ways of dealing with this menace.
This means the CS enjoys the blessings of the President. So, I have no doubt he will succeed.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political analyst based in Nairobi
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