By E, KNA
The death of tens of passengers along the Naivasha–Nakuru highway since the beginning of the new year has left families in agony and deep financial turmoil occasioning nationwide outcry over the road carnage.
From children and students to the working class and the elderly, the high road fatalities have touched the nerve of the nation with extreme incidents being witnessed where whole families have been wiped out in the blink of an eye.
Stakeholders within the transport industry have cited speeding, reckless overtaking, driver fatigue, and driving under the influence of alcohol as the main factors aggravating the worrying trend.
According to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), by the end of 2025, road fatality statistics indicated that the total number of Kenyans who lost their lives on the road reached 4,458, up from 4,311 in the previous year.
The data showed that pedestrians bore the brunt of accidents, accounting for 1,685 deaths, or 38% of all fatalities.
In addition, motorcyclists and pillion passengers saw a sharp spike, with 1,148 motorcyclists and 432 pillion passengers killed.
The road carnage across the country has a huge economic impact, with an estimated cost to Kenya of Sh450 billion annually, about 3–5% of the national GDP.
Yesterday, seven people were killed and 11 others injured after a truck rammed into two matatus at the Kikopey area in Gilgil.
The crash occurred along the Nairobi–Nakuru highway when the truck, which was travelling towards Nakuru, reportedly lost control and veered into the opposite lane, colliding head-on with the two oncoming matatus.
Gilgil Sub-County Police Commander, Wilstone Mwakio, said five victims died at the scene, while two others later succumbed to their injuries at St Mary’s Hospital in Gilgil.
Simon Kosgei called for stricter regulation of heavy commercial vehicles, arguing that trailer drivers should be thoroughly vetted and closely monitored amid rising road carnage linked to reckless driving.
Residents have since raised the alarm over the increasing number of accidents along the Nairobi–Nakuru highway, describing the stretch as a black spot.
Two weeks ago, another accident at the Kikopey area along the same road claimed six lives, renewing calls for urgent safety interventions by authorities.
In addition, nine passengers, including two minors, died two weeks ago in a tragic road accident involving a long-distance bus and a Nissan matatu in the Karai area along the same highway.
The road stretch at the Karai area of Naivasha recently claimed the life of former cabinet minister and Lugari MP, Cyrus Jirongo, when his car was involved in an accident with a night-travel passenger bus.
To the address this, the government has rolled out the implementation of the National Road Safety Action Plan (2024–2028), an ambitious road safety framework that seeks a paradigm shift from traditional enforcement to a safe system approach.
The plan acknowledges that road safety is a shared responsibility between the government, road designers and users, with the primary goal being to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries by 50% by 2030.
By the use of digital gadgets such as smartphones, Kenyans have increased their road awareness campaigns, usually recording and sharing with relevant government bodies cases of reckless driving on the roads that put passengers at risk.
With swift action, the NTSA has on several occasions suspended matatu Saccos that have recorded notorious cases of neglect of established road safety rules.
Consequently, the body has also embarked on driver testing and retooling to ensure they are updated on current laws and regulations that have put in place to rein in on rogue behaviours.
The government’s move to start the expansion of the multi-billion-shilling Rironi–Mau Summit road is expected to offer the much-needed relief both to families and the nation, while saving billions of shillings lost in economic leakages.