Written By Lisa Murimi
The Kenya Transporters Association (KTA) has urged the government to urgently implement instant fines as a measure to curb corruption along Kenyan roads.
In a statement released on Monday, the KTA lamented the prevalence of the “chama” system, where transporters make monthly payments to police officers in exchange for protection from harassment and prosecution.
“This [chama] practice involves traffic police officers and some Base Commanders, soliciting illegal monthly payments from transporters. These payments act as protection against prosecution and harassment for potential traffic violations,” explained the KTA.
The association highlighted that both traffic police officers and transporters perpetuate this corruption, with transporters agreeing to pay the bribes.
To address this issue, the KTA urged the government to institutionalize instant fines, similar to systems in place in some developed nations.
The proposed instant fines would be charged on the road and paid through mobile money to the relevant authorities.
“We also call on the government to urgently implement a standardized traffic instant fines system where motorists can pay the fines over the mobile money system like in the neighboring countries. At least the fines would benefit the country instead of lining the pockets of corrupt police officers,” stated the KTA.
Additionally, the KTA accused traffic police officers, particularly some base commanders, of being the main forces behind the chama system.
The association claimed that many police officers hide their identities while demanding bribes on the roads and called for officers to always wear their identification tags while on duty.
This push from the KTA comes after President William Ruto directed former Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on April 17 to expedite the rollout of instant fines on Kenyan roads.
Speaking during the launch of the National Road Safety Action Plan 2024-2028, Ruto vetoed an earlier plan by the Ministry, arguing that the 90 days set for the project was too long.
Despite the directive, the government has yet to issue an exact date for when the program will be rolled out.
