Road Safety Week: NTSA ramps up awareness amid rising casualties
The week-long campaign, which runs until May 18, 2025, is part of a global effort led by the World Health Organization to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries.
Kenya has started the UN Global Road Safety Week with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) launching countywide sensitisation drives aimed at improving road safety.
The week-long campaign, which runs until May 18, 2025, is part of a global effort led by the World Health Organization to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries.
In line with the UN’s Decade of Action for Road Safety, the campaign promotes safer roads, vehicles, and road users through improved policies, infrastructure, and behaviour change.
NTSA will lead various awareness activities in different counties, each with a unique approach tailored to local needs.
In Kisumu, NTSA will carry out outreach in schools, including Arya Primary and Lions Secondary.
Nyeri will host a free inspection and speed limiter clinic, medical checkups, and sensitisation sessions for drivers, passengers, and students at the Nyeri terminus and Rware High School.
In Embu, the focus will be on learners at Ngurubani Primary School, while Mombasa will see a cleaning exercise of footbridges in Buxton, Kibarani, Changamwe, and Airport Road.
Elgeyo Marakwet will host a vehicle clinic targeting school transport and commercial vehicles at the Iten main stage.
A sensitisation drive for boda boda riders and PSV drivers is planned for Vihiga town in Kakamega.
In Bomet and Kericho, learners will be taught about school road safety zones. Driving school students in Machakos will also be engaged at KMC Grounds in Athi River.
In Kiambu, a roadshow will be held along the Thika–Sagana highway to create awareness among road users.
This year’s Road Safety Week comes at a time when Kenya is still facing high numbers of road-related deaths and injuries.
NTSA data shows that between January and March 2025, 1,139 people died in road crashes — a slight drop from the 1,168 recorded during the same period in 2024.
Pedestrians accounted for the largest share of fatalities at 36.9%, followed by motorcyclists, passengers, drivers, pillion passengers, and cyclists.
In the first quarter alone, 8,874 people were seriously injured, and 5,620 sustained minor injuries.
The NTSA has identified causes such as hit-and-runs, tyre bursts, loss of vehicle control, poor overtaking, and failure to maintain lane discipline as leading contributors to fatal crashes.
Rear-end collisions due to insufficient spacing between vehicles were also common.
To address the crisis, the Ministry of Roads and Transport launched the 2024–2028 Road Safety Action Plan.
It focuses on sensitising public transport and school bus drivers and integrating boda boda operators into safety programmes.
Kenya is estimated to lose over Sh450 billion every year due to road crashes.
