Road crashes spark push for digital fines

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The alarming surge in road accidents across the country has prompted the National Assembly’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee to call for an immediate overhaul of traffic laws enforcement.

The MPs have called for the adoption of a digital fining system to curb reckless driving and improve accountability.

Committee chairperson George Kariuki said the country is facing a national crisis, noting that road deaths have shifted from 'unfortunate accidents' to 'costly choices' driven by irresponsibility among road users.

The Ndia MP spoke at Outspan Hospital in Nyeri while visiting agribusiness entrepreneur Catherine Wambugu, founder of Wambugu Apples and a pioneer of commercial apple farming in Kenya.

Wambugu survived a head-on collision on the Nyeri–Nyahururu highway on Monday night.

The crash, involving her Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and a Mitsubishi Canter, claimed the lives of two of her employees, Teresia Mumbi and Dominic, highlighting the deadly toll of Kenya’s highways.

“We thank God that she survived, but unfortunately, we lost two lives. These are not just numbers, they are breadwinners, mothers and fathers. Every year, we are losing about 5,000 lives, and this trend must be addressed,” Kariuki said.

He attributed most crashes to human error, citing drink-driving, poor vehicle maintenance, speeding and disregard for traffic laws as leading causes of fatalities.

“The uncomfortable truth is that these accidents are choices. It is a choice to drive a car you know has mechanical problems. It is a choice to drive under the influence. These choices are crippling our youth and destroying families,” he added.

As part of proposed reforms, the committee is working with the Ministry of Transport and the National Transport and Safety Authority to shift from traditional policing to a technology-driven enforcement model.

Kariuki said it is humanly impossible to deploy police officers along every kilometre of road, making digital monitoring and automated fines a more effective option.

Key measures under consideration include the use of ICT systems and private-sector partnerships to track traffic violations in real time and stricter oversight by the Ministry of Interior to curb lax enforcement, especially among Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) that pick up and drop passengers at undesignated points.

Others are accelerated road infrastructure upgrades such as better lighting, pothole repairs and improved signage.

Kariuki said the committee will soon convene stakeholders from the transport sector, law enforcement agencies and county governments to fast-track the proposed reforms.

“We must change our attitude toward how we use our roads. Accountability is coming, and technology will help us save lives,” he said.

Kariuki's remarks come against a troubling backdrop of recent road safety data, underscoring the urgency of reform.

According to the NTSA, Kenya recorded more than 21,000 road crash victims in 2025, including over 4,100 fatalities, a 3.4 per cent rise compared to previous years.

Pedestrians accounted for more than 1,600 of those killed, making them the most vulnerable group on Kenyan roads, followed by motorcyclists and passengers in PSVs.

The accidents were largely driven by vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, motorcyclists, and pillion passengers. Pedestrian deaths alone accounted for a significant share of lives lost on the nation’s roads.

Police statistics show that in the first three weeks of January 2026, more than 290 people were killed in separate road accidents, with pedestrians, motorcyclists and passengers among the leading casualties.