NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 11-Members of Parliament have been urged to channel part of the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) towards road safety initiatives, including providing helmets for boda boda riders and passengers, amid continued fatalities on Kenyan roads.
The proposal was made by the Parliamentary Committee on Transport as MPs raised concern over the persistent number of road crashes involving motorcycle riders despite government interventions.
Committee Chairperson George Kariuki said MPs could partner with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to provide safety equipment to riders and help curb deaths linked to boda boda accidents.
“It is time for Members of Parliament to consider using part of their NG-CDF funds to partner with NTSA and provide helmets for riders and pillion passengers,” Kariuki said.
The MPs made the proposal after assessing the digitization of NTSA services and holding talks with the Authority’s management on efforts to improve road safety and service delivery.
Kariuki said the continued loss of lives on Kenyan roads required additional interventions at the constituency level, particularly in areas where boda boda transport is widely used.
The committee also challenged NTSA to intensify road safety education and awareness campaigns while taking its services closer to the public.
Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama criticised the limited geographical reach of NTSA services, saying many Kenyans are forced to travel long distances to access basic services.
“Some Kenyans travel hundreds of kilometres in search of services, yet they are paying taxes like any other Kenyan,” Arama said.
He called for greater decentralization of NTSA services to reduce the burden on citizens seeking services.
NTSA Director General Nashon Kondiwa acknowledged that Kenya is facing a road safety crisis, citing inadequate funding as one of the challenges facing the Authority.
Kondiwa said NTSA was working to expand its footprint across the country but remained present in only 17 of Kenya’s 47 counties.
“Currently, we are in 17 out of 47 counties, which is way below our target,” Kondiwa said.
He said expanding services would enable more Kenyans to access NTSA services without travelling long distances.
The Parliamentary Committee later toured the Authority’s modernized vehicle inspection centre in Likoni, Industrial Area, where members assessed service delivery and progress at the facility.
The proposed use of NG-CDF resources for helmets and road safety campaigns would add a constituency-level intervention to existing government measures targeting motorcycle-related crashes, with MPs arguing that prevention efforts must reach riders and communities directly.
