Police Roadblocks Abolished, Replaced By 38 Patrol Cars

The Inspector-General of Police Hilary Mutyambai has launched 38 new vehicles that will be used by the National Police Service to enhance traffic operations on the highways.

Commissioning the cars on Monday, February 25, 2020, the IG said the vehicles will be used in major highways across the country.

17 of the new patrol vehicles will be used on the major affected routes where some police officials were removed while the rest will be used by the regional commanders.

Motorists will be required to dial 999 to alert the police department in the places where there is traffic interruption or misconduct.

This new move comes after the IG gave orders that roadblocks should be removed on major highways to ease traffic. The IG argued that a lot of time was wasted on the roadblocks when motorists were negotiating with the police officers.

“The IG had ordered that the traffic personnel and roadblocks be removed from major highways and the move to launch these cars is aimed at enhancing response,” said an NPS official.

According to the deputy inspector general Edward Mbugua, other than manning traffic on the roads, the new patrol vehicles will reduce the excess deployment of police officials to certain points.

Excess deployment of police officers to manage traffic was used for personal gains by their seniors.

“It has come to my attention that commanders are deploying many officers to perform traffic duties at the expense of other police duties. Due to the many officers, there are many complaints about the harassment of motorists. I have no doubts that this is happening for personal gains thus your integrity is questionable,” Mbugua argued.

Instead, the excess police officers who were removed on the major highways will be taken to do general duties. The others who remain near the affected routes will respond to the traffic alerts.

Only ten officers and not more will be deployed at the checkpoints or any other traffic duty. All the officers on the road will get direct instructions from the Regional commanders.

Roadblocks will be erected only with the instructions from the regional commanders and they will be used for a specific purpose.

“This streamlining is already on course as can be confirmed by the number of checks currently in place from Mombasa to Malaba. We call upon all Kenyans of goodwill to support us by obeying the law and avoid in corrupt activities on our roads, ”Mutyambai said in June last year.

The IG stressed that police misconduct should not go unpunished, calling out members of the public to be on the lookout and report any corrupt case to the authorities.

“This calls for both parties not only to desist from corrupt activities on the road but also to stand against such by reporting them to relevant authorities,” the IG added.

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