Kenya’s roads have claimed 398 lives since the start of 2026, highlighting ongoing safety challenges despite continued efforts by authorities to reduce crashes and fatalities across the country.
Data from the National Police Service shows that from January 1, 2026, a total of 854 road crashes have been recorded nationwide, affecting 2,032 people. Most of those killed are pedestrians and motorcyclists, with human behavior cited as the main cause of accidents.
Speaking during an interview on NTV on Friday, Nairobi-based traffic liaison officer Boniface Otieno said road crashes remain a major concern not just in Kenya but around the world.
“The road safety challenge, or crashes, is a global problem. Globally, 1.19 million people die each year and 50 million survive with injuries, according to the World Health Organization,” Otieno said.
He added that low- and middle-income countries bear the heaviest burden.
“In Africa, we are at 12 percent of the global deaths, and in Kenya, we lose approximately 3,000 to 4,000 people every year. This is the problem we are working to address at national, regional, and global levels.”
Otieno explained that road safety efforts are guided by what he described as the “Three Es” — engineering, education, and enforcement — with a fourth E focused on emergency and post-crash care.
“The road is designed and built by authorities such as the Ministry of Roads and Transport and KURA, and education is delivered by the National Transport and Safety Authority. Enforcement comes from the National Police Service, ensuring that road users who ignore the law are held accountable,” he said.
Despite increased investment in road safety, Otieno said behavior by road users continues to undermine progress.
“The biggest responsibility is on the road user – the pedestrian, the driver, the motorcyclist. Human behavior, such as using a mobile phone while walking or wearing earphones, is difficult to enforce and remains a major contributor to crashes,” he said.
He noted that efforts are being made to improve infrastructure in high-risk areas, particularly in Nairobi. These include the construction of spiral-design pedestrian footbridges along busy roads such as Outer Ring Road, designed to support people with disabilities.
“We have the facility, but it must be used correctly. Our traffic police first respond to crashes and document whether the cause was road design or human error, which informs immediate improvements,” Otieno said.
He also pointed out that heavy traffic volumes contribute to accident hotspots, with Nairobi and the Northern Corridor linking Mombasa to Malaba recording the highest number of crashes.
“With Nairobi’s six million residents and two million visitors, accidents are expected, but through education, enforcement, and improved road engineering, we aim to contain these figures,” he said.
Official figures from the National Transport and Safety Authority show that 4,458 people died in road accidents in 2025, representing a 3.4 percent increase from the 4,311 deaths recorded in 2024.
Pedestrians were the most affected, accounting for 1,685 deaths, followed by motorcyclists at 1,148. Other fatalities included 723 passengers, 403 drivers, 432 pillion passengers, and 67 pedal cyclists.
Nairobi recorded the highest number of deaths at 447, followed by Kiambu with 387 and Nakuru with 318. Counties located along the Northern Corridor accounted for about 40 percent of all fatalities, with most deadly crashes occurring at night due to poor visibility, speeding, and driver fatigue.
