This archive report was first published on 8 January 2020.
Published on January 8, 2020, a report by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) highlights the alarming rise in road accident deaths in 2019.
By December 2019, a total of 3,409 people had lost their lives in road accidents, a 13% increase from the 3,004 deaths recorded in 2018.
According to the report, the number of crashes due to pedestrians walking or standing on the road jumped by 100% to 40 cases between January and October 2019.
NTSA blames drivers for road accidents and deaths, citing reckless speeding as a major contributor to the rise in fatalities.
“Being an extremely high-traffic and busy road, drivers are supposed to drive at 50km/h, but you find that some speed up to 80km/h, increasing the possibility of accidents,” said Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) assistant director for Corporate Communications, Mr Charles Njogu.
The report also highlights the lack of safety facilities such as sidewalks, foot bridges, and zebra crossings, which exposes pedestrians to road accidents.
Most highways across the country lack footbridges, with the government only recently stepping up the installation of these facilities on key roads, including the Thika Superhighway.
Nairobi county leads the list of road accidents countrywide in 2019, with Mombasa Road being the most dangerous road in the city.
