Chief Justice Martha Koome has raised serious concerns over the worsening road safety crisis in Kenya, revealing that 5,000 road fatalities were recorded in 2025, up from 4,448 in 2024.
Speaking at State House in Nairobi on Monday, Koome highlighted that 62,932 traffic cases were filed in the 2024/2025 financial year, with offenses ranging from reckless driving, causing death, contravening insurance laws, to driving under the influence of alcohol.
Koome warned that road traffic accidents remain a national concern, saying, “When there are fatalities, accidents on the roads, it doesn't matter whether it is NTSA that has failed, whether it is the police, prosecution or the court — all of us as a country, we have failed our country.”
She emphasized that traffic justice reforms are central to the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) reform agenda, aiming to prevent accidents, strengthen law enforcement, improve compliance, and ensure offender accountability.
The Chief Justice revealed that during the 2025 festive season alone, from December 16 to January 10, 415 deaths were recorded, representing a 23 percent increase from 338 fatalities in 2024.
She attributed this surge to a combination of factors, including increased vehicle registration; cars rose from 81,000 in 2024 to 182,000 in 2025, and motorcycles from 58,000 to 150,000 — weak enforcement of traffic laws, corruption, inadequate road infrastructure, and unsafe driver behavior.
Koome outlined the heavy economic toll of accidents, noting that the Ministry of Health estimates annual healthcare costs attributable to road traffic accidents at Sh48.5 billion, covering emergency services, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and long-term care.
She added, “The average cost of treating a road traffic accident victim is about Sh69,000 for moderate injuries and Sh147,000 for severe injuries, with admissions ranging from 10 to 24 days.”
To address these challenges, Koome called for urgent reforms, including the fast-tracking of the Traffic Act amendment for instant fines, demerit points on licenses, and the creation of an integrated ICT-based traffic case management system linking enforcement, adjudication, and transport agencies.
She also urged sustained political leadership, improved funding, and strengthened coordination across the justice sector, stressing that, “The sector agencies need infrastructure expansion — police stations, prisons, the judiciary — as well as motorbikes, computers and other administrative utilities.”
The Chief Justice further pushed for the enactment of the NCAJ Bill to provide independent funding and strengthen accountability, noting that current funding is insufficient and undermines the operational capacity of the justice sector.
She concluded by highlighting the importance of public awareness campaigns, education, and sustained stakeholder engagement to foster long-term safer road use practices across Kenya.
