Remarks · 2 March 2026
The safety of our people on our roads remains a matter of grave national concern. Despite sustained interventions over the years, road accidents - and the injuries and loss of life they occasion continue to exact a heavy and unacceptable toll on our nation.
Kenya records more than 4,000 road fatalities annually. Last year alone, 5,009 deaths were reported on our roads, an increase of 261 compared to 2024.
These accidents and their ensuing fatalities and injuries cost our economy the equivalent of 5% of our GDP, translating to an estimated loss of KSh450 billion annually.
During the 2025 festive season alone, 415 deaths were recorded, a 23% increase from the previous year. I am, however, encouraged that deliberate steps are already being taken to confront this challenge.
For the first time, a coordinated inter-agency traffic justice model was successfully piloted during the 2025/2026 festive season under the framework of the National Council on the Administration of Justice. This initiative brought together enforcement, prosecution, and adjudication in a unified and structured manner.
I am pleased to note that the interventions during the festive season yielded measurable gains. The deployment of 36 prosecutors, 40 officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, and 121 officers from the National Transport and Safety Authority significantly strengthened enforcement.
As a result, fatalities involving Public Service Vehicles declined by 10%, largely due to intensified oversight. This initiative has, therefore, established a viable and replicable national model for managing traffic offences.
Even so, emerging risks demand our urgent attention. Accidents involving private vehicles have increased relative to Public Service Vehicles, and so have night-time crashes involving longdistance trucks. Additionally, boda boda-related accidents continue to pose a persistent and serious threat on our roads.
The pilot showed the core drivers of road traffic accidents within the various sectors. Within the justice sector, key factors include weak enforcement, inadequate highway patrols, bribery across the enforcement chain, lenient penalties that fail to deter offenders, poor inter-agency coordination, and gaps in postcrash response.
Other major contributors include reckless driving, speeding and drunk driving, poor driver training, widespread unlicensed riding, unroadworthy vehicles, counterfeit spare parts, unsafe road design, and the high vulnerability of pedestrians and motorcyclists. Economic pressures on PSV operators are also contributing to risky behaviour.
The pilot further exposed critical weaknesses within the justice chain. These include persistent corruption and roadside bribery, delays in investigations and prosecutions, weak evidence management systems, digital gaps, inconsistent fines, absence of traffic-specific sentencing guidelines, limited capacity of the workforce, funding constraints, and weak enforcement of Notices to Attend Court.
Operational challenges were also evident. Virtual courts achieved only a 25% success rate due to connectivity and power limitations. Budget constraints affected the rollout of mobile courts. Case processing delays were noted between arrest and registration at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. In some instances, agencies continued to operate in silos, while public compliance with traffic rules remained low. Ladies and Gentlemen,
To decisively confront these challenges, the report sets out a comprehensive package of reforms that we must urgently give priority to stem the continued loss of life and injuries on our roads.
First, on legal and policy reform, the report proposes that we amend the Traffic Act to respond to emerging risks. Key measures include the introduction of instant fines and a demerit points system for driving licences, the standardisation of driver training and licensing, and the fast-tracking of the National Council of the Administration of Justice Bill.
Second, on digital transformation, the report recommends the establishment of an integrated e-transport and traffic case management system linking all relevant agencies. It also calls for the scaling up of automated ticketing, expanded deployment of CCTV and speed cameras, and the creation of a secure digital evidence management framework.
Third, on police and integrity reforms, the report recommends the deployment of body-worn cameras for traffic officers, strengthened continuous vetting and integrity testing, enhanced anti-bribery mechanisms, and improved welfare, supervision, and working conditions for enforcement officers.
Priority actions for non-justice sector agencies include fasttracking the identification of blackspots, particularly along the Northern Corridor and the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway. The report further calls for the adoption of safety-by-design principles in all new road projects and the expansion of pedestrian walkways, crossings, and dual carriageways.
On vehicles and drivers, I note that the report calls for the strengthening of mandatory inspection of vehicles and motorcycles, and the introduction of digital fatigue monitoring systems such as tachographs. It also recommends the requirement of defensive driving certification for PSV operators, and the formalisation of boda boda operations through SACCO structures.
Similarly, on emergency response, it is proposed that we establish additional trauma centres and ambulance response points along major highways alongside the strengthening of the “Golden Hour” response framework to save more lives. Ladies and Gentlemen,
The way forward is clear. Sustained high-level political leadership is indispensable. Road safety must be pursued through a wholeof-government and whole-of-society approach. Dedicated financing mechanisms, including the operationalisation of the National Road Safety Fund, must now be prioritised.
As a country, we have made an important step through coordinated enforcement and traffic courts. However, rising fatalities, systemic corruption risks, infrastructure gaps, and weak digital integration make it clear that road safety reform must now move from pilot phase to full national transformation.
We cannot, and we will not, accept the continued loss of Kenyan lives on our roads. The government is fully committed to ensuring that the recommendations arising from this pilot are implemented decisively and without undue delay. I thank you. ###