Thirty-five pedestrians have been arrested at the Buruburu Interchange for failing to use the designated footbridge while crossing the road, as the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) intensifies enforcement against unsafe road use.
In a statement issued on Monday, the authority said the pedestrians were arrested during an ongoing operation targeting people who ignore pedestrian infrastructure and instead cross busy highways, an offence that disrupts traffic flow and exposes road users to serious danger.
"Enforcement operations at Buruburu Interchange, targeting pedestrians who fail to use the designated footbridge while crossing the road are ongoing. A total of 35 pedestrians have been arrested for failing to use the footbridge, thereby obstructing the free flow of traffic," NTSA said.
The authority added that all the suspects would face legal action.
"The offenders will be arraigned in court to face the charges," the statement added.
The latest crackdown comes amid growing concern over the rising number of crashes involving vulnerable road users in Kenya, with pedestrians accounting for a significant share of road fatalities each year.
Recent road safety data shows that pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists collectively account for more than half of all road traffic deaths recorded across the country. Men also remain disproportionately affected, with statistics indicating they are nearly three times more likely than women to lose their lives in road crashes.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), road crashes claimed 4,748 lives in 2024, up from 4,513 fatalities recorded in 2023, representing a 5.2 per cent increase. The number of people injured also rose sharply from 10,677 in 2023 to 11,937 in 2024, an increase of 11.8 per cent.
The figures underscore the growing burden of road traffic injuries despite continued enforcement campaigns and public awareness initiatives by transport and law enforcement agencies.
The challenge is mirrored globally with the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimating that approximately 1.16 million people die each year due to road traffic crashes, while between 20 million and 50 million others sustain injuries, many resulting in permanent disabilities.
WHO also identifies road traffic injuries as the leading cause of death among children, teenagers and young adults aged between five and 29 years.
More than 90 per cent of global road crash deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, despite those nations accounting for only about 60 per cent of the world's registered vehicles