@bwenyenye is 100% on point.

The laws we had were sufficient and we should stop hoping that matatus will now tow the line because of fear of the extreme penalties. Without enforcement they are as good as dead.

Two things will happen here unless citizens do the police work as well
1. Obviously police bribes will go to a whole new level.
2. Police and their relatives will be the biggest owners of matatus for obvious reasons.

@Alma... It seems my point did not get across to you. What I am saying is that Kimunya is not solving the problem of impunity by drivers... he is just creating a cash cow for government and police. There were better ways of resolving the matter e.g ensuring that the police actually do their work.

In fact, to me, it would have been far much effective if he had halved the fines and made sure that the traffic courts work as they should. If a cop arrests you , you meet in court and he proves his point face to face same day. I can assure you the police would go back to doing what they are actually paid to do. As it is, he will arrest you and you will do jerk but pay a fine even if you are not on the wrong simply because the process of courts in Kenya is madness!!

I agree with your statement above completely.

But again lets not put the cart before the horse.

We cannot keep on blaming the police and corruption for all our ills. The responsibility of being a good citizen starts with everyone including the matatu owner. They must follow the law.

If the matatu owner followed the law, there will be no need for traffic cops in the first place.

If citizens followed the law, there would be no need for traffic courts et al.

So lets deal with the real issue first.

Issue 1 is that the matatu owners and their thugs are beating up other citizens. They are in effect saying they want it to be cheaper to commit crimes. They are committing criminal offences right now to try and prove a point. This is exactly what the Kalenjin warriors and Mungiki did in 2007.

That has to be stopped pronto.

Then we can talk about how to effectively govern under a law which many of us believe to be draconian and can be better implemented.

Follow the law first, then seek to change it.

Don't harass the rest of the world first, then seek to change it, then comply. Civilised societies don't work like that.

@bwenyenye You are spot on!. The current traffic laws are punitive enough, but implementation is the problem. Our police force needs real reforms to enforce laws in this country. look at all those guns and other amunations finding their way into the country, especially from north eastern, and yet there are numerous police road blocks on the way.

...@bwenyenye,Elder and WWJD...i partly agree with you...but allow me to ask,I have driven for close to 10 years,i dont overlap,jump traffic lights ,obstruct other cars or drive dangerously not only me but countless other kenyan motorists also play it right...what makes us different when compared to those who do such things and break the law???its not like we will get a presidential award for doing the right things,we do the right things coz we are considerate about others,i dont need a written law to force me to put my car on the side when am offering someone a lift or dropping them off,i dont need a written law to force me to stop when the lights are red and pedestrians are crossing or use the appropriate lane when am on a roundabout...we need to grow up,courtesy and being considerate are things that we have thrown out of the window these days thats why we are forced to have stiff penalties that will ensure we tow the line...in my short lifetime i have seen good matatu drivers,the ones who signal when turning,dont speed,dont obstruct other motoriststs and generally dont behave like they own the roads...in the same lifetime i have also seen bad/rogue matatu drivers,those who cut infront of you whenever they want or deem it appropriate,those that tail gate you flashing their lights while also honking just coz u are driving at 80 kph on a road designated for that speed limit,those that chew miraa,mogoka,take kuber and tots of kenya king or napoleon while at the wheel or just before taking the wheel,those that break any imaginable traffic rule written or unwritten...if the bad cant be coerced into doing good by nation wide sensitization programs,govt funded seminars,consultative discussions then just like a potters clay let the whip be unleashed and by its cracking let them be shaped into doing good.