NAIROBI - Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki on Thursday assented to new traffic law, geared towards dealing with traffic offenses which account for 25 percent of accidents in the country.

The Traffic (Amendment) Act 2012 will review the registration and licensing of motor vehicles and the issuance of driving licenses.

"The Traffic (Amendment) Act amends various sections of the Traffic Act which has enhanced penalties for various traffic offences," Kibaki said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

Notable in the amendments is that every driver of a public service vehicle must undergo a physical fitness test before being issued with a driving license or having it renewed.

"In this bill among other things the Inspector General of the police is also mandated to designate areas where a road block can be mounted. Also drivers and conductors of public service vehicles must wear special badges and uniforms," the statement said.

The drivers are also required to undergo compulsory tests after every two years to ascertain their competence.

The development comes as Traffic Commandant, Benson Kibui said over 2,525 people have died while thousands others have been injured in road accidents across the country since the start of this year, adding that accidents are mostly caused by both public and private vehicles, motorcycles, motorbikes and pedestrians.

Kibui said half of the 2,525 people killed in road accidents this year were pedestrians followed by passengers (607), motorcyclists (253), drivers (241) cyclists and their passengers (187).

He said road accidents on the newly constructed superhighway has so far caused 111 deaths comprising pedestrians (77), passengers (22), drivers (eight) and motorists (three). According to Kibui, between January to August the number of road crashes decreased from 11,347 to 8,449 compared to 2011 while fatal crashes reduced from 2,833 to 2,109.

The amendments also seek to deal with the failure of a driver to produce a driving license, driving beyond the stipulated speed limit, driving under the influence of alcohol and causing death from reckless driving.

The traffic amendments will also deal with the issue of unroadworthy vehicles, punishment for hit and run drivers and the fraudulent issuance of motor vehicle documents.

The amendments propose to increase tenfold traffic offences fines. For example, a first conviction on reckless driving will attract a fine of $1,250 dollars or imprisonment for two years or both.  

A second conviction on the same offence will attract a fine of $3,620 and/or imprisonment for a year or disqualification from driving for a period of two years.

Analysts say the new law should help bring order to public service transportation and general order from all motorists.  

Police statistics showed 10,240 accidents took place and left 3,055 people dead in 2010 whereas only 7,596 accidents were recorded in 2011 with 3,005 having been reported as in December 2011.

According to the Kenya police, more than three quarters of those killed through road accidents are males and about half are children. About 57 percent are vulnerable road users -- motor cyclists, pedestrians and cyclists.