By Jack Ohito, DevReporter, Siaya County
HIGHLIGHTS
- A large share of road-traffic accidents nationwide a9re due to ‘preventable human factors’ much as non-compliance with traffic rules.
- Timothy Adeya, a resident of Siaya, said that he has witnessed how road users especially boda-boda operators ignore traffic rules.
“Today, I can’t walk well. I thank God I survived, even though the driver died instantly,” Recounts Mollyn a survivor of accidents.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), notes that nationwide, a large number of road-traffic accidents are due to “preventable human factors.”
The National Road Safety Action Plan 2024-2028 recognizes reckless behaviour, poor road-user compliance, and insufficient enforcement among the leading causes of accidents.
Kenya’s road accident data for late 2024 and early 2025 shows a concerning rise in fatalities, with over 3,800 deaths by October 2025, exceeding numbers from the previous years. As indicated in the official NTSA website, these numbers are driven by speeding, overloading, and human error, with pedestrians and motorcyclists most heavily affected, prompting government efforts and NTSA campaigns to curb the trend. The official NTSA website.
The Sustainable Development Goals on health and safe cities are still far from being met, even with less than five years remaining. SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), particularly Target 3.6, aims to reduce by half, global road traffic deaths and injuries, by 2030. Likewise, SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), through Target 11.2, seeks to ensure safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport for all, and especially vulnerable road users, by 2030. These goals have not yet been achieved.
Reckless Behaviours by Road Users
Talking to RBNews, Mollyn Anyango, a business lady in Siaya town, and a survivor of two accidents recalls:
“The first accident I got was caused by careless driving. The second one was caused by smugglers driving from Busia town towards Siaya, and had heard about a police inspection point ahead. In total disregard of road regulations, they simply made a U-turn, and hit us in the process.”
Timothy Adeya, a resident of Siaya, said that he has witnessed how road users, especially boda-boda, operators ignore traffic rules.
He wonders whether they do this deliberately or because they lack knowledge about the set regulations
“ On matters of road safety it is not clear whether road users are conversant with traffic rules or not,” said Mr Adeya
However, according to Abraham Nyamasi, a boda boda rider in Siaya Town, over-speeding, driving while drunk and lack appropriate road signs on our roads greatly contributes to increasing fatalities on our road.
Path Forward: What Siaya Needs to Do
Youth Leader, Kevin Owino is of the opinion that more read signs need to be put up.
“Let our transport authority erect signs to inform road-users of speed limits within our major towns and roads.”
Siaya Police Station Base Commander, Janet Ayabei, cites ignorance about traffic rules as the major problem.
“ We have done arrests, taken some to court and revoked some driving licences, but the carnage continues”
Related story
https://www.thekenyandiaspora.com/stories/3209/NTSA-report-reveals-3581-road-deaths-in-202425-marking-10-surge
https://www.citizen.digital/article/nearly-12-kenyans-killed-in-road-accidents-daily-ntsa-n361168
