Road carnage: 1,189 lives lost since January
Road accidents across the country have claimed at least 1,189 lives since the beginning of the year.
This is according to the latest data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
These deaths, according to data from the NTSA, occurred between January 1 and April 1, 2024.
“Since the year started 7,198 Kenyans have been involved in road accidents, marking an increase of 1,908 compared to last year, 3,316 were seriously injured and 2,693 suffered from minor injuries,” NTSA said.
During the same period last year, 1,129 fatalities in road accidents were reported, with 2,435 others seriously injured and 1,726 sustaining minor injuries.
So far this year, pedestrian fatalities stand at 436, compared with 374 recorded last year. Motorcyclists’ fatalities stand at 276, which is a slight decrease compared to 311 in 2023.
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Since the beginning of the year, 255 passengers lost their lives in road crashes compared to 211 in 2023.
At the same time, 98 drivers also lost their lives which is a decrease compared of 108 compared to the same period last year.
Pillion passengers recorded 102 deaths compared to 105 witnessed last year, while only 22 pedal cyclists have died from an accident within the period under review compared to 20 recorded in 2023.
This has come to light after the National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi earlier in the week expressed concern over the rising cases of road accidents, saying heads should roll in the relevant ministry.
Mr Wandayi said the Ministry of Transport should urgently come up with a plan of action for Mombasa Road, in particular, saying it had become a black spot.
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He also said that the concerned authorities should instead enforce decisive behaviour change among road users.
“This is the root cause of road accidents. What we have today is a failed reactionary system,” Mr Wandayi said.
“Like all other countries, Kenya is supposed to halved deaths caused by road accidents by the year 2030, in line with the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. However, the reverse is being witnessed amid high-sounding talk,” Mr Wandayi said.
The behaviour changes he wants addressed include speeding, rampant bribery, breach of barrier line, drunk driving and driving when fatigued.
“We need a clear, well-thought-out and sustainable plan by the Ministry of Transport and the National Police Traffic department to reduce deaths on the roads,” Mr Wandayi said.
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The MP said the high level of ignorance among road users, from drivers to pedestrians, also needs to be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
He also wants the government, through the Transport and Roads Ministry, to improve the road infrastructure and replace vandalised signage.
“Speed limit signs and all other signs needed to avert accidents must immediately be displayed at regular intervals across all roads in the country. Many times one can drive for kilometres without seeing any signs that there is a sharp corner, a bump or a roundabout coming up,” he said.
The lawmaker said the prevailing situation where institutions charged with critical responsibilities for safety seem satisfied with merely sharing data with the public must be mitigated.
Last year, more than 4,300 people were killed in road accidents while the 22,885 that were involved in accidents were left with serious injuries.