The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), has installed speed and surveillance cameras at strategic locations along major roads and highways, to strengthen traffic enforcement and curb the rising number of road accidents in the country.

The cameras linked to a National Command and Control Centre, are expected to facilitate real-time monitoring of traffic violations and automated detection of offences, allowing authorities to take swift action, against motorists who flout traffic regulations.

NTSA Director of Cooperatives Affairs, Jacob Sisey, said the surveillance system was among several interventions the Authority had introduced to address increasing cases of road carnage, particularly as the country approaches the festive season when traffic volumes traditionally rise.

He cautioned motorists against reckless driving, urging them to exercise extra vigilance, observe traffic rules and remain mindful of other road users, to prevent avoidable accidents.

Speaking during a fundraiser for the construction of the sanctuary at St Francis Cheptarit Catholic Church in Nandi County, Sisey said motorists should ensure their vehicles are roadworthy and that all necessary documentations are in order, before embarking on journeys.

He also called on parents and guardians to closely supervise their children during the long school holiday, warning against allowing underage learners, to drive vehicles or operate commercial motorcycles (Bodaboda).

Sisey said cases of children without driving licenses taking vehicles onto public roads, with some engaging in boda boda operations, remained a concern that required greater parental responsibility.

“During the holidays, you find cases of children who do not have licenses driving on the roads, while others engage in boda boda business. I am appealing to parents, to be on the lookout to curb this vice,” he said.

He further urged youth operating motorcycles, to obtain valid riding licenses and observe traffic regulations, noting that road safety was a shared responsibility that required cooperation from motorists, passengers, pedestrians and parents.

According to NTSA statistics, road fatalities increased from 3,875 in 2019 to more than 5,100 in 2024, highlighting the growing burden of road crashes, on families and the country.

Beyond loss of lives and injuries, road accidents are estimated to cost Kenya about Sh450 billion annually, through medical expenses, lost productivity and property damage, equivalent to approximately five per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

Under the Traffic (Minor Offences) Rules, 2016, motorists exceeding the prescribed speed limit by between six and 10 kilometres per hour, face a Sh500 fine, while those driving 11 to 15 kilometres per hour above the limit are liable to pay Sh3,000.

The penalty rises to Sh10,000 for motorists exceeding the speed limit by between 16 and 20 kilometres per hour.

The same penalties apply in designated 50-kilometre-per-hour zones and other areas where traffic signs prescribe lower speed limits.

By Kosuri Valarie