A fresh push to centralise transport accident investigations across all sectors has been tabled in Parliament, with Limuru MP John Kiragu proposing a bill that would assign additional oversight roles to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).

The lawmaker argues that the current model, where each mode of transport is overseen by a separate agency, is inefficient and hinders prompt action in accident investigations.

Kiragu, who appeared before the National Assembly’s Transport Committee on Tuesday, August 5, said the existing framework was scattered and lacked coordination. He stressed the need for a single authority to oversee safety across road, rail, air, marine, and pipeline transport systems.

In his view, giving NTSA the mandate to handle all accident probes would establish a unified and more effective approach.

“Accident prevention and investigation must be treated as a joint responsibility across all modes of transport, and there must be one institution to ensure accountability and consistency,” he told the committee.

Currently, accident investigations are handled separately NTSA and the police manage road accidents, rail crashes fall under Kenya Railways, while air incidents are investigated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID) within the State Department for Transport.

This fragmented approach, Kiragu argued, creates delays and gaps in the overall response to accidents.

The proposal triggered varied reactions among committee members. Ruaraka MP Tom Kajwang led the opposing voices, raising concern over NTSA’s capacity to act independently while also serving as a regulator.

“We need to know where things stand with the Bureau. Before NTSA is handed broader responsibilities, we must ensure the institutional framework guarantees true independence, especially in line with international best practices,” Kajwang said.

Mumias West MP Johnson Naicca echoed similar sentiments, stating that NTSA is already heavily engaged in road transport regulation, and assigning it further responsibilities might stretch its capacity and interfere with its core mandate.

Despite the mixed views, the committee resolved to engage Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir to further assess how the bill can comply with global standards without weakening accountability.

The proposed legislation comes amid rising concerns over increasing accidents in Kenya’s air, rail, and road networks. It also follows the government’s 2023 establishment of the Kenya Transport Accident Investigation Bureau, a multi-sectoral body that was expected to oversee accident probes across the board.

However, questions remain about the Bureau’s current operational status.