Ruto orders traffic law reforms as road fatalities rise to 5,009

Report reveals 5,009 road deaths in 2025, calls for stronger traffic enforcement reforms. [File,Standard] Kenya lost 5,009 people on its roads in 2025, a rise of 261 from the previous year, as corruption among traffic officers, boda boda accidents and drunk driving continued to undermine efforts to curb road carnage. President William Ruto received a report from the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) at State House, Nairobi, on Monday, laying bare the scale of a crisis that costs the country an estimated KSh450 billion annually, equivalent to 5 per cent of gross domestic product. The figure challenges a long-held assumption that road deaths in Kenya are purely an infrastructure problem. The NCAJ report points the finger squarely at the justice system, citing bribery across the enforcement chain as a core driver of fatalities. "We cannot, and we will not, accept the continued loss of Kenyan lives on our roads," said Ruto. During the 2025 festive season alone, 415 people died on Kenyan roads, a 23 per cent rise from the previous year. The government deployed 36 prosecutors, 40 Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officers and 121 National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) officers in a coordinated crackdown that cut fatalities involving public service vehicles (PSVs) by 10 per cent. However, the gains were uneven. Accidents involving private vehicles rose relative to PSVs, night-time crashes involving long-distance trucks increased and boda boda-related accidents remained a persistent threat. The NCAJ report identified weak enforcement, inadequate highway patrols, lenient penalties, poor inter-agency coordination and gaps in post-crash response as key failures within the justice sector. Reckless driving, speeding, drunk driving, poor driver training and unroadworthy vehicles compounded the problem. Virtual courts set up during the pilot achieved only a 25 per cent success rate due to connectivity and power failures, while budget constraints hampered the rollout of mobile courts. Ruto outlined a package of reforms in response. On law, the government plans to amend the Traffic Act to introduce instant fines and a demerit points system for driving licences. On technology, it will establish an integrated e-transport and traffic case management system and expand the deployment of CCTV and speed cameras. On integrity, traffic officers will be required to wear body cameras and undergo continuous vetting. The report also calls for the formalisation of boda boda operations through savings and credit co-operative (SACCO) structures, the introduction of digital fatigue monitoring systems such as tachographs for long-distance trucks and the establishment of trauma centres along major highways. "Road safety must be pursued through a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach," noted Ruto, adding that the National Road Safety Fund must be operationalised without delay.

Ruto orders traffic law reforms as road fatalities rise to 5,009

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Related Topics

Similar Articles

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS

Similar Articles

previous year, as corruption among traffic officers
Report reveals 5,009 road deaths in 2025, calls for stronger traffic enforcement reforms. [File,Standard]

Research unveils economic value of invasive 'mathenge' shrub

Senators raise concern over Sh500 million Kilifi Industrial park project

Designing finance model that helps women owned businesses grow

Rising aviation costs, high levies squeeze African airlines' profits

DIGGER JOBS

Digger Motors

Digger Real Estate

Ruto orders traffic law reforms as road fatalities rise to 5,009

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Related Topics

Similar Articles

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS