The UN Global Road Safety Week got underway on Monday and is scheduled to run until May 18, 2025.
It is a biennial campaign led by the World Health Organization (WHO) under the auspices of the United Nations.
The safety week aims to raise awareness and mobilise global action to improve road safety.
The campaign seeks to promote safer roads, vehicles, and road users by advocating for effective policies, infrastructure, and behavior change.
It aligns with the UN’s Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021–2030), which targets a 50 per cent reduction in road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
In Kenya, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has lined up road safety sensitisation drives across the country with tailor-made initiatives for each county.
In Kisumu county, the authority will hold road safety outreach at educational institutions with Arya Primary School and Lions Secondary School chosen for the activities.
In Nyeri county, NTSA said it will organise a free inspection and speed limiter clinic, free medical checkups, and school road safety sensitisation targeting drivers, passengers, and learners.
The event will be held at the Nyeri terminus and Rware High School.
In Embu county, NTSA will organise a road safety outreach at educational institutions targeting learners at Ngurubani Primary School.
In Mombasa, the authority will lead a cleaning exercise of the footbridges in Buxton, Kibarani, Changamwe, and Airport Road.
In Elgeyo Marakwet, there will be a motor vehicle clinic at the Iten main stage targeting school transport, PSVs, and commercial vehicles.
In Kakamega, there will be a driver sensitisation drive for boda boda riders and PSV drivers at the Vihiga town main stage.
Free medical clinic, free motor inspection/speed limiter checks, and road safety sensitisation at Nyeri matatu terminal as UN Global Road Safety Week got underway in Nyeri county, May 12, 2025. /NTSAIn a public notice issued Monday, NTSA said it will also hold a road safety sensitisation exercise in Bomet, Kericho county, targeting learners where they will be taught school road safety zones.
At the KMC Grounds, Athi River, Machakos county, the road safety authority said it will sensitise driving school students from various driving schools on road safety.
Meanwhile, in Kiambu county, NTSA plans to hold a roadshow from Thika to Sagana along the Thika-Sagana highway.
Kenya will be marking the UN Global Road Safety Week on the backdrop of a poor road safety record, with the latest statistics painting a worrisome picture of the situation.
As of May 2025, Kenya continues to grapple with a high incidence of road accidents and fatalities.
Data from the NTSA shows that between January and March 2025, 1,139 people lost their lives in road crashes.
This represents a slight decrease of 2.5 per cent compared to the same period in 2024, which recorded 1,168 fatalities.
Pedestrians remain the biggest victims, accounting for 36.9 per cent of the fatalities in the first quarter of 2025.
Motorcyclists followed closely, with significant numbers of passengers, pillion passengers, drivers, and pedal cyclists also among the casualties.
During the period under review, NTSA data shows that 8,874 individuals sustained serious injuries, while 5,620 suffered slight injuries.
In response to the persistent road safety challenges, the Ministry of Roads and Transport, through the NTSA, launched the 2024–2028 Road Safety Action Plan.
The initiative aims to address the high rate of road accidents and their economic impact, with estimates indicating that Kenya's economy loses over Sh450 billion annually due to road crashes.
The NTSA cites hit-and-runs, tyre bursts, loss of vehicle or motorcycle control, improper overtaking, and failure to maintain proper lane discipline as the leading causes of fatal crashes.
The authority also noted rear-end collisions due to inadequate distance between vehicles were among leading causes of road carnage in the country.
The 2024–2028 Road Safety Action Plan focuses on regular sensitisation of drivers, especially those operating public and school buses, and the integration of boda boda riders into safety programmes.
