Kenya Police is partnering with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and other stakeholders to sensitise motorists and passengers on road safety in order to stem road accidents during this festive season.
Speaking during the launch of the exercise at the accident-prone Karai area in Naivasha along the Nairobi–Nakuru highway, Traffic Commandant from the Traffic Headquarters, Mrs. Grace Kaikai, said the exercise is targeting motorists and passengers on major roads to enforce safety measures and traffic laws to ensure safe travel this festive season.
Kaikai said police have been deployed across major highways to ensure compliance and safe travel during the season, which is known to experience the highest number of road accidents in Kenya.
She announced a major crackdown on unroadworthy vehicles, speeding drivers, and overlapping drivers who cause traffic congestion.
The initiative also focuses on educating boda boda riders flagged for lack of awareness of traffic rules and regulations because this vital part of the transport system is also known to contribute to the increasing road carnage in the country.
Chairperson of the Association of Kenya Driving Schools, Mr. Samuel Kimani, identified speeding and vehicle overlaps as key issues being addressed in this campaign covering the festive season.
He said the programme dubbed the Usalama Barabarani initiative is aimed at ensuring compliance with traffic laws for safer travel for thousands of Kenyans across the country.
They have collaborated with NTSA and the Traffic Police Unit to use speed guns and breathalysers to enforce speed limits and deter drunk driving and, in turn, reduce road accidents, particularly on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway, during this season.
NTSA, Nakuru Region Representative Mr. Joseph Gichohi, said Kenya had reported a slight reduction in road fatalities due to increased public awareness and compliance by public service vehicles.
He said Kenya had over 4,300 road fatalities recorded this year as compared to 4,324 in 2023 and emphasized the need for more police presence on major highways during the holidays in order to curb the accidents.
Data from NTSA shows that the number of passengers who died in 2023 was 739, a decrease from 823 in 2022. Drivers who died in 2023 were 382 compared to 426 in 2022, while pedal cyclists are 86 compared to 61 in 2022. For pillion passengers, 393 died last year while 443 perished in 2022.
Mr. Michael Kimani, from the County Government of Nakuru, announced that the county had set aside three million shillings in the budget for driver sensitisation programmes, including boda boda operators.
He said the County Road Safety Committee has been at the forefront of promoting road safety, especially along the Northern Corridor, which has immensely contributed to the number of road accidents in the country.
The area residents, led by Ireri Nyaga, welcomed the noble initiative that will ensure all travellers reach their destinations in one piece and enjoy their holidays if all road users adhere to set traffic laws and regulations on the road.
He urged the government to fast-track the expansion of the Rironi-Mau Summit Highway to reduce accidents on the Northern Corridor through reduced traffic snarl-ups.
NTSA estimates that more than 3,000 Kenyans die from road accidents every year—costing the country anywhere between 3-5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 83 per cent of the fatalities were men, with individuals aged between 30-34 years being most at risk, thus robbing the country of a very productive age bracket. But the World Health Organisation (WHO) puts the figures at much higher.
These numbers have been increasing every year. It’s estimated the impact of road accidents in Kenya costs the country approximately five percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually, translated to roughly Sh310 billion, according to a report from the NTSA.
Many of the accidents occur over the weekends and holidays, with the hours 5 pm-8 am being considered as peak accident hours, with drunk driving and carelessness being cited as some of the major causes of these accidents.
The majority of the people who die in these accidents are vulnerable road users—pedestrians, motorcyclists, and cyclists. In addition, nearly one-third of deaths are among passengers—many of whom are killed in unsafe forms of public transportation.
The sensitisation move comes as the Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) announced alternative routes for motorists travelling to Western Kenya this season in order to reduce congestion on the Northern Corridor, which is a gateway to the region and beyond, all the way to the landlocked countries of Eastern and Southern Africa, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia.
Motorists plying the Northern corridor have been urged to use Naivasha-Njabini-Olkalou-Dundori-Lanet-Nakuru. The alternate is Flyover-Njabini-Olkalou-Dundori-Lanet-Nakuru, and they can also opt for the Ngong-Suswa-Narok-Mau Narok-Nakuru routes in order to ease traffic flow on the highway.
Motorists heading to the western part of Kenya were on Friday forced to spend hours on the road following a snarl-up along the busy Nairobi-Nakuru highway. Police have been stationed on the routes to block overlapping that was identified as the biggest cause of the snarl-up.
The congestion started building up from the small hours of the morning as the commuters heading upcountry for the festive season surged and the bulk of vehicles increased, with a massive build-up of vehicles trapped in traffic extending tens of kilometres along the highway, but the situation eased later in the afternoon after police managed to control the traffic.
The heavy rains that pounded Nairobi further made the situation worse as a section of the Kamandura-Maa Mahiu Road had some rocks cut off the road and a truck that overturned on the Nairobi–Narok highway.
This forced most of the motorists to opt for the busy Nairobi-Nakuru Highway, causing a massive snarl-up that left commuters stranded for over eight hours.
Because of the rains in the city, the snarl-up also affected the motorists using the Rironi-Maai Mahiu Road, where massive overlapping caused a major traffic jam that stretched to the Nairobi-Nakuru junction.
Kenyans have been urged to remain vigilant during the festive season and exercise caution to avoid accidents and falling victim to criminals on the prowl during the period.
The Interior Ministry has also outlined key security concerns with petty offences like pickpocketing and muggings expected to increase, especially in crowded areas like markets, shopping malls, and public transport centres.
By Mabel Keya – Shikuku
