Murkomen Rolls Out Mandatory Installation of Cameras in All Matatus, School Buses in Kenya

The National government has announced fresh steps to curb the rising cases of road accidents across the country. 

On Tuesday, Transport CS announced that school buses and Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) must be outfitted with in-car cameras and vehicle telematics. He elaborated that the telematics will be equipped with a GPS system that will display the current location of a vehicle and also a black box recorder that will track the speed of the vehicle at all times. The cameras will be placed in the front and rear of the vehicle to record the driver's behaviour.

Murkomen said that he will need the assistance of the parliament once these new regulations are brought to the house. The CS remarked that the dashboards of all saccos will feature a link to the National Transport and Safety Authority and the Ministries of Interior and Transport. The former Elgeyo Marakwet senator said that the price of the cameras will not exceed Sh30,000. 

"The recorder will also reveal how who maintained the vehicle when it was serviced, and who did it. If you will spend Sh30,000 and below to fit this equipment, let it be, but we will save many lives," Murkomen said. 

In addition, he declared that the ministry will make road reserves free of markets. The CS asked Kenyans to support Kenha when the time for rolling out these new directives arrives. However, he remarked that the new directives will likely be a contentious political issue. 

The CS was speaking during a prayer service at the Londiani trading centre, with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in attendance. The new directives come after a tragic accident occurred at the Londiani Junction on June 30, 2023, at around 6:30 pm, claiming 52 lives.