Rising road crashes and deaths in Kenya have prompted the United Nations to step up calls for safer driving habits and stricter compliance with traffic laws, warning that careless behaviour on the roads continues to cost lives.
The concerns were raised on Wednesday during a road safety awareness walk held in Nairobi, where officials from different UN agencies urged motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to take greater responsibility while using the roads.
The event, held under the theme “Road Safety for All: Walking, Biking, Driving”, was organised by the United Nations Department of Safety and Security in Kenya together with the United Nations Office at Nairobi, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and UNHCR.
Participants joined the symbolic march to spread awareness on safe road use and encourage efforts aimed at protecting all road users from preventable accidents.
Security coordination officer Bob Ngobi said the campaign is focused on educating people about risky behaviour that contributes to road crashes and strengthening awareness on safe driving practices.
“The interventions we have are to organise awareness campaigns so that our staff are aware of the dangers. We are targeting behaviours that lead to accidents,” Ngobi said.
He noted that many accidents can be avoided if road users remain patient, careful and disciplined at all times.
“Defensive driving is key,” he added.
UNHCR representative Abraham Kanneh said road accidents continue to remain a major public health and development challenge across the world, especially among young people and working populations.
He said reducing deaths and injuries on the roads requires cooperation from all sectors of society, including drivers, passengers, pedestrians and authorities.
Kanneh added that the campaign supports the global target under Sustainable Development Goal 3.6, which seeks to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by half before the year 2030.
He also said the initiative is part of activities under the Decade of Action for Road Safety.
Figures from the World Health Organization show that approximately 1.19 million people lose their lives every year due to road crashes, while millions of others are left with injuries, some leading to permanent disability.
WHO further states that low and middle-income countries account for more than 90 per cent of global road traffic deaths, with Africa recording the highest rates.
Road accidents also continue to place a heavy burden on families and economies through treatment costs, loss of income and reduced productivity.
Data contained in the Economic Survey 2026 indicates that road traffic accidents reported in Kenya increased from 11,316 in 2024 to 11,638 in 2025.
The report further shows that fatalities rose to 4,009 deaths while injuries increased to 8,248 cases over the same period.
According to the survey, some of the major causes of accidents include drunk driving, reckless driving, overloading, driver fatigue, poor observance of traffic rules and bad road infrastructure.
The report also recorded an increase in casualties involving pedestrians, motorists and motorcycle riders.
The United Nations said continued public education, tougher enforcement of road safety rules and responsible conduct among road users will play a major role in reducing the growing number of crashes in the country.