Alarming Rise in Road Fatalities Prompts Instant Justice for Traffic Offenders

News Updated: 15 December 2025 22:25 EAT

The government has declared a period of heightened vigilance on the nation's highways this festive season, implementing severe measures to curb the surging road carnage by ensuring traffic offenders face instant justice.

Chief Justice Martha Koome, speaking on Monday, confirmed the alarming trend, revealing that road accident fatalities have escalated by 5% compared to the same period last year, with the death toll rising from 4,479 to a staggering 4,682. To aggressively combat this increase, the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) is rolling out a raft of stringent measures.

Top among these initiatives is the immediate deployment of mobile courts, which will utilize both physical and electronic means to swiftly dispense justice. CJ Koome assured the public that while law enforcement will be strict, the process will be "expeditiously" handled to avoid unduly cutting short citizens' holidays. The overall enforcement strategy will also involve the erection of new roadblocks, the deployment of officials from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), and strict monitoring of legally prescribed driver working hours.

These immediate actions are complemented by a major long-term reform: the Cabinet has simultaneously approved the rollout of smart driving licenses featuring provisions for instant fines, mobile wallets, and a driver merits and demerits system, further strengthening the framework for traffic law adherence.