#Alcoblow: Magistrate arrested for drink-driving

A magistrate is among 92 motorists arrested at the weekend for drink driving. Ogembo magistrate Charles Kamau was arrested by Traffic police officers and official from the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) along Thika road for driving under the influence of alcohol and was held at Muthaiga police station before he was allowed go leave after posting a cash bail.

Kamau was arrested on Saturday night by highway patrol police unit mandated to check levels of alcohol in a driver’s bloodstream. Kamau is expected to appear in court today.

Highway patrol police unit commander Charles Keitany said a breathalyser also known as alcoblow indicated that Kamau was over the limit and should not have been driving a car on a public road. Keitany said the law must be respected by all irrespective of one’s social status. “We have no malice. We arrested him to save his life and that of other road users,” Keitany said.

Traffic commandant Samuel Kimaru yesterday said 92 motorists had been arrested over the weekend for violating traffic regulation concerning driving while drunk and said the police will not relent in the fight against traffic laws breakers.

Kimaru revealed that 50 motorists were arrested on Friday night while 42 other were arrested on Saturday night in operation conducted in Nairobi.

He neither confirmed nor denied the arrest of the Ogembo chief magistrate saying the officers are targeting anyone who drives while under the influence of alcohol regardless of their status in society.

” It doesn’t matter your status in society. I can’t confirm or deny that we arrested him. All motorists who are arrested are equal and we treat them the same. So long as they are drunk while driving or even seating behind the wheel of a car., we will arrest and charge them They are put in the cells and asked to post a Sh 20,000 pending being charged in court,” Kimaru said.

The Traffic Commandant said that police officers have been asked to treat drunk drivers carefully after cases emerged of motorists assaulting police officers who want to arrest them for driving while drunk.

” We have briefed our officers not to ruthlessly handle any motorists who declines to be tested. Some motorists want to fight our police officers when asked to blow into the equipment. Yesterday, one motorist declined to open his mouth but we arrested him all the same and locked him in the cells because he was visibly drunk,” Kimaru said.

Source: theSTAR