The Long Distance Drivers and Conductors Association (LODDCA) has called for road safety to be declared a national disaster following a crash at Kanga, near Mtito Andei, that reportedly killed 24 people.
In a statement dated October 25, the association urged the government to translate the proposed declaration into decisive action, stronger enforcement and accountability, warning that Kenya could not continue mourning preventable road deaths while underlying problems remained unresolved.
LODDCA called on the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to hold transport companies and savings and credit cooperative organisations (SACCOs) accountable for allowing unroadworthy vehicles onto the roads.
It also urged authorities to address driver fatigue, excessive working hours, inadequate rest and pressure on drivers to operate unsafe vehicles.
“The dangerous mentality of ‘Enda urudi, tutatengeneza’ must end. No commercial deadline is worth a human life,” the association said, referring to the practice of allowing vehicles to continue operating despite safety concerns.
LODDCA further called for drivers, conductors, transport associations and other frontline stakeholders to be involved in developing and implementing road safety interventions.
It urged the government to establish a coordinated, time-bound national response with clear responsibilities, measurable targets and transparent reporting on progress in reducing road deaths.
The association also demanded a thorough investigation into the Kanga accident, with the findings and corrective measures made public.
“Our position is clear: road safety cannot be a conversation we have only after lives have been lost. Prevention, enforcement and accountability must come first,” it said.
The association’s demands come as NTSA pushes for road traffic crashes to be declared a national disaster, describing the situation as a national emergency.
The authority estimates that about 20,000 road crashes claim more than 5,000 lives annually. Its data showed that 3,995 people died in road crashes between January 1 and October 4, 2026, an average of about 14 deaths daily.
The Kanga accident involved a head-on collision between a passenger bus belonging to Power of the Word Church International, Mombasa, and a commercial cement tipper truck along the Nairobi–Mombasa Highway. The bus was carrying passengers returning from a funeral service.
Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir said the government would intensify traffic enforcement and oversight of commercial and public service vehicle drivers, targeting speeding, reckless overtaking and other traffic violations.
He also pledged to strengthen efforts to identify and address accident black spots through targeted infrastructure improvements.
The government plans to strengthen implementation of the Commercial Vehicle Regulations 2026, Vehicle Inspection Regulations 2026 and School Transport Regulations 2026, which Chirchir said were critical to vehicle roadworthiness, driver accountability and fatigue management.
The crash came weeks after 17 people died in an accident at Salama, Mtito Andei, on October 3.