Kenya Red Cross Secretary General Ahmed Idris has warned that reckless driving, widespread disregard for traffic rules, and poor road discipline are major contributors to more than 4,000 deaths on Kenyan roads each year.
Speaking during an interview on Radio Generation, Idris said that while enforcement is necessary, much of the responsibility lies with individual drivers.
“The challenge that we have is that at an individual level, all of us as drivers have a discipline problem,” he said. “We overspeed. We have very little respect for traffic rules. In fact, we gain a lot of pride in being defiant and disrespecting rules.”
Idris noted that while individual behavior is critical, structural factors also play a significant role in the high mortality rate.
“The second one that now requires a deep investment from government is a road design perspective,” he said, highlighting that many road black spots contribute heavily to fatal accidents.
Dangerous road designs and poorly planned intersections, he explained, increase the risk of crashes and demand urgent attention from authorities.
The Secretary General also emphasized that the country’s trauma and emergency response systems are not adequately equipped to save lives after accidents occur.
“The public health system, the way it was designed, the locations of hospitals, and the capacities of these hospitals are not planned in such a manner that we are able to move one critical case to another,” he said.
Idris explained that the lack of interconnected referral systems, specialized equipment, and neurosurgeons in regional hospitals often reduces the chances of survival for serious road accident victims.
To address this, the Kenya Red Cross has invested heavily in emergency response, now operating a fleet of 128 ambulances that respond daily to medical emergencies, primarily road crashes.
“That investment needs to be made more in the country,” he said, stressing the importance of building trauma capacity and ensuring hospitals are equipped to handle serious injuries.
Idris further outlined the organization’s plan to train children in schools on first aid, aiming to reduce fatalities in emergency situations.
“Knowledge of first aid improves the chances of reducing a fatal outcome by up to 26 percent,” he said. The Red Cross has also mapped 36 sites across the country to station response vehicles and teams within 20 kilometers of known black spots.
“We can’t do much in preventing indiscipline on Kenyan roads, or redesigning the road, but as an organization, we are committed to preventing much worse outcomes in terms of the number of people who are dying,” he added.
Through a combination of public awareness, emergency preparedness, and strategic response, Idris says the Kenya Red Cross is working to save lives and mitigate the impact of road traffic crashes across the country.
According to NTSA, as of December 2, 2025, road fatalities in Kenya have risen, with 4,458 deaths recorded, up from 4,311 during the same period in 2024. Pedestrians and motorcyclists make up the majority of the casualties, while speeding, drunk driving, and poor night visibility have been identified as major contributing factors.
