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NTSA warns ‘Kenya Mpya’ buses over accidents

January 7th, 2016 2 min read

By OLIVER MUSEMBI

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has put on notice Neo Kenya Mpya bus company over involvement in numerous accidents.

The transport company which operates a fleet of buses between Thika and Nairobi was given a month to streamline its operations or face action by the road safety authority.

This followed a series of recent accidents involving the company buses, including one in which two people were killed about three weeks ago.

NTSA’s Deputy Director and Head of Corporate Communications Dominic Kabiru, said the firm’s officials were summoned and ordered to upgrade their fleet management system.

On December 13 last year, two people were killed and five others were seriously injured when a Kenya Mpya bus rammed a matatu near Brookside Dairy.

Ten days later, on December 23, two buses belonging to the company crashed near Kenyatta University injuring scores of passengers.

“We have been aware of the various crashes that have been reported involving Neo Kenya Mpya vehicles and following these incidences NTSA has instructed the management to ensure that all vehicles are fitted with functional speed limiters, among other safety measures,” he said.

CAUSING DEATHS

The sacco officials were also directed to invest more on effective management fleet management, control and monitoring of their routes.

“We have advised them to hire qualified personnel to run the fleet and set up a date when the officials, drivers and conductors of the sacco will be trained and sensitized by NTSA,” Mr. Kabiru said.

He said the sacco was given up to January 24th to implement the above mentioned issues, “failure to which stern action will be taken against them.”

Meanwhile, a driver with the bus company has been charged with causing the deaths of two passengers and injuring five others through dangerous driving.

Humphrey Ndung’u appeared before Thika chief magistrate’s court and denied causing the death of Beth Nduta Kuria, 82, and Sophia Wanja, 33, when the bus he was driving, registration number KBU 755 S, rammed into a matatu run by Thika Road Sacco near Brookside Dairy on December 13, last year.

The court was told that Ndung’u fled the scene of the accident but was arrested ten days later. He was remanded after failing to raise a bond of Sh 300,000 with a surety of similar amount. The case will be heard on March 10.