398 Killed in Road Accidents in January as Traffic Police Raise Alarm

By : Mweru Mbugua 

At least 398 Kenyans lost their lives in road accidents between January 1 and January 30, 2026, highlighting a worsening road safety crisis in the country

According to the National Police Service Traffic Department liaison officer for Nairobi County, Boniface Otieno, the fatalities represent an 11 per cent increase compared to the same period last year

Otieno revealed that 854 road accidents were recorded during the month, slightly higher than the 850 crashes reported over the same period in 2025. As a result, 2,032 victims were affected by road accidents by January 30, marking an 8 per cent rise from 1,132 victims recorded last year

Pedestrians remain the most vulnerable road users, accounting for 143 deaths, followed by motorcyclists, who recorded 102 fatalities

Passengers lost 77 lives, while 38 drivers died in crashes involving private vehicles, buses, and matatus. Pillion passengers accounted for 31 deaths, and seven bicycle riders were killed during the period under review

 Also read : New 132kV Power Line Transforms Nyanza, Ends Outages and Spurs Economic Growth

Speaking during an interview on NTV’s Fixing the Nation, Otieno emphasized personal responsibility among road user

“The greatest responsibility for road safety is the road user. On the road, we say, whether you’re right, please yield, slow down it will save time and lives,” he said

The rising number of passenger deaths has raised concerns over speeding, overloading, and failure to comply with safety regulations, with traffic police urging stricter adherence to traffic laws to curb the growing toll on Kenyan roads