Kenya has recorded 364 more road deaths in 2026 than the same period last year, raising fresh concerns over road safety as the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) rolls out a festive season crackdown targeting risky driving behaviour.
In a fresh survey, data shows that as at October 21, an estimated 4,238 people had died in road crashes in 2026, against 3,874 during the same period in 2025. Ghis is a 9.4 per cent increase.
Pedestrians and motorcyclists account for the largest share of the fatalities, highlighting the vulnerability of road users who face the greatest exposure to traffic risks.
“Pedestrian deaths rose from 1,450 to 1,594, an increase of 144, while motorcyclist fatalities increased from 997 to 1,124, representing 127 additional deaths,” data from the traffic department shows.
Together, the two categories accounted for 2,718 deaths, or approximately 64 per cent of all fatalities recorded across the six categories in 2026.
The figures provide a sobering backdrop to NTSA’s festive season road-safety campaign, announced on October 22, which seeks to disrupt risky behaviour and strengthen accountability among drivers and public service vehicle (PSV) operators during a period associated with increased travel.
“Under the campaign, we are intensifying interventions targeting speeding, drunk driving, driver fatigue, lane indiscipline and other forms of dangerous road use,,” NTSA director general, Eng. Nashon Kondiwa explains.
The authority has also introduced an upgraded Intelligent Road Safety Management System (IRSMS), effective October 2026, covering commercial vehicles weighing at least 3,048 kilogrammes and public service vehicles with a capacity of seven or more passengers.
Other measures include automated night-time and blackspot checks, free vehicle safety inspections, capacity-building for PSV operators, fatigue management, driver retesting and greater accountability for transport operators.
The campaign also incorporates Operation Watoto Wafike Salama (OWWS), alongside public sensitisation and data-driven enforcement under the Usalama Barabarani initiative.
By October 20, NTSA had trained 3,201 participants, comprising 2,352 PSV drivers and 849 personnel drawn from operator management teams, as part of efforts to improve compliance and promote safer transport practices.
The rising fatalities among pedestrians and motorcyclists, however, point to a road-safety challenge that extends beyond driver training and vehicle compliance.
Pedestrians recorded the highest number of deaths, while motorcyclists experienced a 12.74 per cent increase in fatalities. Deaths among pedal cyclists rose from 57 to 67, the steepest proportional increase among the six categories, at 17.54 per cent.
Passenger fatalities increased from 644 to 694, while driver deaths rose from 349 to 375. Pillion passenger deaths edged up from 377 to 384.
The figures suggest that the festive season campaign will need to address the safety of all road users, particularly pedestrians, cyclists and motorcycle users, who are especially exposed when crashes occur.
Measures such as safer pedestrian crossings, protected walking and cycling infrastructure, effective speed control, enforcement of helmet requirements and improved road-user education could complement the authority’s announced interventions.
The rising fatalities therefore, have renewed concerns about the human cost of road crashes, which extends beyond loss of life to physical disability, psychological trauma and financial hardship for survivors and their families.
Bright Oywaya, a road-crash survivor, now a passionate road-safety advocate and Kenya Country Coordinator for the Global Road Safety Partnership, says road safety should be a shared responsibility because crashes can affect anyone.
“Road crashes can affect anyone, so we all need to take a keen interest in road safety. The impacts are not just physical but also financial and psychological,” she says.
Oywaya’s message comes against the backdrop of rising road deaths in Kenya, where pedestrian fatalities increased from 1,450 in 2025 to 1,594 in 2026, while motorcyclist deaths rose from 997 to 1,124, according to comparative statistics as at October 21.
She also warns that the challenge extends beyond Kenya, with road crashes rising across the African region, underscoring the need for governments to strengthen road infrastructure and enforce traffic laws.
“We urge governments across the region to prioritize road infrastructure and ensure traffic laws are enforced to prevent the loss of lives,” she says.
Her call adds to growing concerns that road safety requires sustained investment in safer roads and consistent enforcement, alongside efforts to improve the behaviour of drivers and other road users.
NTSA’s emphasis on operator accountability and fatigue management also places responsibility on transport businesses to ensure that drivers are fit for duty, vehicles are roadworthy and journeys are conducted within safety requirements.
As millions of Kenyans prepare to travel during the festive season, the increase in deaths presents an urgent reminder that road safety requires more than seasonal enforcement.
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