Kenya traffic police officers have restored roadblocks to impose mandatory alcoblow tests.
Moreover, more than 200 motorists were over the weekend caught unaware of the breathalyser tests, forcing culprits of drunk driving who could not pay Sh20,000 cash bail to spend the nights in police custody.
Relatives and friends of those who failed the alcoblow test swamped police stations in efforts to seek their release
In addition, police have said the tests will be enforced on various roads after the new law governing the practice was ratified at many levels.
“We will be all over at any time. We have all the needed gadgets to carry out the operations for the sake of the road users in general,” Nairobi police boss James Mugera announced.
Likewise, motorists who were arrested are expected in court on November 7 to face charges of driving under the influence of alcohol.
These developments came in June 2022 after former President Uhuru Kenyatta signed the Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2021 into law. The new law stipulates that motorists who are found guilty of drunk driving risk a fine not exceeding Sh100,000, a two-year prison term, or both.
Also Read: Motorist in Kenya to Brace Themselves for the Return of Alcoblow
Nonetheless, the alcoblow also known as a breathalyser estimates the alcohol content in one’s blood from a breath sample.
As such, motorists are not allowed to drive if they have taken more than 35 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath, 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood and 107 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine
“A person who, when driving or attempting to drive, or in charge of a motor vehicle on a road or other public place is under the influence of an alcoholic drink or a drug beyond the prescribed limits, shall be guilty of an offence,” states the law.
Furthermore, drivers of private vehicles are allowed 0.35 micrograms maximum intoxication, while those operating public service vehicles are completely prohibited from taking alcohol and their alcoblow test result should read zero.
Nevertheless, the amended law is an improvement of another after a court order that had in 2017 declared the use of the alcoblow illegal.
Appeal judges GBM Kariuki, Festus Azangalala and Fatuma Sichale in April 2017, ruled that the law which introduced the alcoblow was illegal because it violated the Traffic Act.
According to the law, refusal to provide a specimen when required to do so by a police officer in uniform is an offence. Therefore, a person who refuses to take the test will be considered to be over the prescribed limit and subject to a penalty which considers one guilty of the offence.