KCA University has partnered with Technical University of Dortmund in Germany to set up the Centre for Road Safety Awareness and Traffic Injury Surveillance in a bid to reduce road carnages in the country.
The centre, which will be the first of its kind in the country, seeks to facilitate the reduction of road accidents in Kenya through research, innovation and knowledge creation according to KCA University Vice Chancellor and CEO Prof Isaiah Wakindiki.
Prof Wakindiki said that the centre is supposed to be a one-stop centre for scientific data gathering and transmission that will lead to policy formulation, discovery and innovation in the area of road transport across the country.
Data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) indicates that since the year started 7,198 Kenyans have been involved in road accidents. Some 1,189 died, 3,316 were seriously injured and 2,693 suffered from minor injuries.
The data further shows that pedestrians account for the highest fatalities in 2024 at 436 followed by motorcyclists at 276 fatalities.
Speaking at the University’s main campus in Ruaraka, Nairobi, and the VC quipped that the Technical University of Dortmund in Germany is helping in development of the initial stages of the centre, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
“We are partnering with established institutions that have done a lot in this area. At the moment, one of our faculty members is on a three-month scientific visit in Germany and among other things is doing the initial data collection and fine-tuning the setting up of this center,” the VC said.
READ ALSO:
Prof Wakindiki divulged that they are also collaborating with the road agencies in Kenya such as the NTSA and the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to streamline the collection and analysis of road carnage data.
“This is pivotal in getting to the root causes and ultimately developing solutions through education, advocacy and policy-making,” he said.
He said that the University is mobilising resources for establishment of the centre noting that part of the KSh15 million the institution sought to raise in the second edition of the VC&CEO Cycling Tour that ended on Saturday, will be spent on the centre.
The VC decried that the University has been losing at least a student to a road accident every year, an issue he said has become a major concern to the University.
“Here at KCA probably because we are situated near a highway, on average we are losing a student per year through road carnage. This year alone, from January to date, we have already lost a student,” he said.
He said that KCA has decided to take the bull by its horns and conduct extensive research as well as build up innovations with an aim of ending the perennial road carnage menace. He noted that the University is keen to provide solutions to problems facing the society through research and innovations.
“We have been talking about road safety for the longest time through various sectors of the country but no university has domesticated it in the form of a research center. This is what we will do here at KCA University. We are here to provide solutions to challenges affecting society. We will use research and innovation to alleviate these accidents,” Prof Wakindiki said.
The cycling tour, spanning from Nairobi, Nakuru, Kapsabet, Kakamega, Kisumu, Kisii, Narok and back, was also sensitising on safe road usage for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians as well as advocating for a healthy lifestyle.
By Kamau Njoroge
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
