By M, KNA
The National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) has issued a joint communiqué outlining enhanced measures to improve road safety and traffic management during the festive season and beyond.
The resolutions were made during a Special Council Meeting convened in Nairobi against the backdrop of a worrying rise in road traffic fatalities, which increased from 4,479 deaths in 2024 to 4,682 in 2025, a five per cent increase.
The meeting brought together representatives from the National Police Service (NPS), Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Judiciary, Office of the Attorney General, National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), State Department for Correctional Services, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Kenya Prisons Service (KPS), and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).
Members acknowledged that road usage typically increases during the festive period, often leading to heightened congestion and a surge in traffic accidents. The Council condoled with families who have lost loved ones through road crashes.
NCAJ expressed concern that road traffic accidents continue to pose a significant public safety and security challenge, placing pressure on the healthcare system, disrupting economic activity, and causing loss of life and livelihoods.
The Council identified risky road behaviours, including speeding, fatigue, dangerous overtaking, drunk driving, and non-compliance with traffic laws, as major contributors to preventable deaths and congestion.
Speaking through a communiqué issued by its Chairperson, Chief Justice (CJ) Martha Koome, the Council reiterated its constitutional obligation to protect lives and promote public safety through enhanced coordination among justice sector agencies, the public, civil society, faith-based organisations, the media, and the private sector.
“Addressing road carnage is not the responsibility of one agency but a collective commitment by all Kenyans, especially duty-bearers and the wider public,” said Koome.
The Council resolved to implement comprehensive measures to enhance road safety, including strengthened multi-agency collaboration, joint enforcement operations, and increased visibility on high-risk road corridors.
CJ Koome announced that mobile courts will be deployed through both physical and electronic means to handle traffic offences swiftly during the festive season. These courts will operate in close collaboration with officers from NPS, ODPP, the Judiciary, NTSA, KPS, EACC, and LSK.
Motorists requiring legal representation will be accorded the opportunity to contact their advocates.
The Council also resolved to increase the strategic deployment of roadblocks to intensify vehicle and motorcycle inspections. Motorists and riders were urged to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy before travelling, with special focus placed on curbing violations by motorbike operators.
Additionally, EACC officers will be deployed along major highways to monitor traffic enforcement and deter corruption. Kenyans were urged not to offer bribes when arrested for traffic violations and to report concerns via toll-free numbers 999, 911, and 112.
CJ Koome further assured that incidents of human rights violations will be closely monitored, while public sensitisation campaigns will be intensified by justice sector agencies, transport authorities, the health sector, media, and community stakeholders.
The Council will also support health facilities to ensure the availability of standby ambulances for emergency response during the festive season.
NCAJ will upscale public education campaigns targeting motorists, pedestrians, and passengers on responsible road use, and continue engagements on legal, policy, and administrative reforms related to traffic offences.
“The Council will enhance stakeholder engagement, mobilise resources, and sustain reforms aimed at effective administration of justice in traffic-related matters,” Koome affirmed.