NAIROBI, Kenya – The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has stepped up road safety enforcement across Kenya’s Coast region, launching an intensified alcoblow crackdown and public awareness campaign as thousands of learners begin travelling home for the August school holidays.
The nationwide safety operation is being coordinated by NTSA’s Mombasa Regional Office in partnership with the County Government of Mombasa and the National Police Service (NPS), with authorities seeking to reduce road crashes during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
According to NTSA, the campaign combines road safety education at major bus parks with stricter enforcement of drink-driving laws and compliance checks along key highways.
The Authority said officers will conduct awareness sessions targeting both drivers and passengers while increasing alcoblow operations to deter motorists from driving under the influence of alcohol.
“The campaign includes awareness sessions for drivers and passengers, intensified drink-driving (alcoblow) enforcement, and enhanced road safety compliance operations along major highways to promote safer travel during the holiday period,” NTSA said in a statement.
Beyond enforcement, the Authority is urging passengers to become active participants in promoting road safety by reporting reckless behaviour before it results in crashes.
Travellers have been advised to raise the alarm if they notice a driver speeding, appearing intoxicated or fatigued, using a mobile phone while driving, overtaking dangerously, driving on the wrong side of the road, failing to maintain lane discipline or engaging in any other form of distracted driving.
NTSA also appealed to members of the public to support the campaign by reporting unsafe practices that could put children and other road users at risk during the holiday travel season.
What is Alcoblow?
An alcoblow, commonly referred to as a breathalyser, is a device used by police to estimate the amount of alcohol in a driver’s breath and determine whether they may be driving under the influence.
The device operates in two modes. In active mode, a motorist blows directly into the breathalyser, allowing it to measure alcohol concentration in the breath.
In passive mode, the device samples air around a person when they are unable or unwilling to blow into it, enabling officers to carry out rapid roadside screening.
The breathalyser relies on an electrochemical fuel cell sensor that generates an electrical current when alcohol in exhaled breath reacts with the sensor.
The higher the alcohol concentration, the stronger the electrical signal, allowing the device to estimate blood alcohol levels from the breath sample.
Kenya has increasingly relied on alcoblow operations as part of wider efforts to curb crashes linked to drunk driving, particularly during festive and holiday travel periods when traffic volumes are significantly higher.
