President William Ruto and the Chief Justice and National Council on the Administration of Justice chairperson Martha Koome holding the NCAJ Report 2025/26 during the meeting with NCAJ members at State House Nairobi on March 2, 2026/PCSKenya is spending an estimated Sh48.5 billion annually on treating road traffic injuries, even as thousands of traffic-related cases continue to flood the courts, the National Council on the Administration of Justice 2025/26 has revealed.
Citing the NCAJ 2025/26 report, Chief Justice and National Council on the Administration of Justice chairperson Martha Koome said the Ministry of Health estimates that the Sh48.5 billion covers emergency services, hospitalisation, surgery, rehabilitation, and long-term care for victims of road crashes.
“The Ministry of Health estimates annual health care costs attributable to Road Traffic Injuries (RTI) at approximately KES 48.5 billion, including emergency services, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and long-term care,” Koome said.
She added that the average cost of treating a victim stands at about Sh69,000 for moderate injuries and Sh147,000 for severe injuries, with hospital admissions ranging between 10 and 24 days depending on the extent of harm.
The health burden mirrors the pressure on the justice system; according to the report, 62,932 traffic cases were filed in courts during the 2024/25 financial year.
The cases ranged from careless driving and causing death to driving under the influence, obstruction, and insurance violations.
Specifically, 787 cases involved causing death, 2,991 were linked to driving under the influence, and 3,509 related to insurance contraventions. The majority, 47,400 cases, fell under other traffic offenses.
A similar trend has been recorded in the current financial year, with 33,532 traffic cases filed by the end of December 2025, signaling sustained enforcement and persistent non-compliance on Kenyan roads.
During the 2025 festive season from December 16, 2025, to January 10, 2026, the Judiciary operationalised 20 court stations to enhance access to justice and expedite case handling.
A total of 1,978 traffic cases were filed and processed through multiple mechanisms.
To bolster enforcement and prosecution, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions deployed 36 prosecutors, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission deployed 70 officers and the National Transport and Safety Authority deployed 121 officers during the same period.
Koome said the coordinated multi-agency approach is aimed at strengthening accountability, deterring reckless behaviour and ultimately reducing deaths and injuries on Kenyan roads.
“In 2025, a total of 5,009 road traffic deaths were reported, compared to 4,748 in 2024, reflecting an increase of 261 fatalities,” the report shows.
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