Drunk Drivers in Kenya to be Punished by Working in Morgues

Drunk driving in Kenya could now attract a punishment of working in mortuaries if new guidelines by the transport and safety agency are adopted.

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) director general Francis Meja says the agency plans to have drunk drivers attend to the dead in morgues in a bid to reduce road carnage and discourage drunk driving.

“We cannot have notorious drunk drivers causing accidents yet when they appear in court the penalty is very lenient. Once we have the new policy ready then we shall ensure it becomes law,” said Francis Meja.

The proposal has however attracted backlash from morticians. In a statement in Monday, Ezra Olack, who is the chairperson of the National Funeral Services Association of Kenya, said the body will not allow any infiltration of the duties. "Stop demeaning our profession. The work we do is very important," he told The Star.

He added: "We have codes of ethics and conduct that all our staff have to abide by. This is not something we do while abusing substances."

"We are not going to allow people to come and ruin our profession. The person who said that must have been joking. But if he was not joking, those who will be told to work in funeral homes can sue him," Olak said.

"One has to be trained on all this. If we allowed any Tom, Dick and Harry to do it, many families would be receiving their loved ones' bodies in bad condition," he added.