Abstract:
Road traffic crashes exert a huge burden on Kenya’s economy
and health care services. Current interventions are sporadic,
uncoordinated and ineffective. This report offers a descrip-
tive analysis of secondary data obtained from a variety of
published literature and unpublished reports. Over three
thousand people are killed annually on Kenyan roads. A four-
fold increase in road fatalities has been experienced over the
last 30 years. More than 75% of road traffic casualties are
economically productive young adults. Pedestrians and pas-
sengers are the most vulnerable; they account for 80% of the
deaths. Buses and matatus* are the vehicles most frequently
involved in fatal crashes. Characteristics of crashes vary con-
siderably between urban and rural settings: pedestrians are
more likely to be killed in urban areas, whereas passengers
are the majority killed on intercity highways that transverse
rural settings. Road safety interventions have not made any
measurable impact in reducing the numbers, rates and
consequences of road crashes. Despite the marked increase
in road crashes in Kenya, little effort has been made to
develop and implement effective interventions. Impediments
to road traffic injury prevention and control include ineffec-
tive coordination, inadequate resources and qualified per-
sonnel, and limited capacity to implement and monitor
interventions. There is need to improve the collection and
availability of accurate data to help in recognising traffic
injury as a priority public health problem, raising awareness
of policymakers on existing effective countermeasures and
mobilizing resources for implementation. Establishment of
an effective lead agency and development of stakeholder
coalitions to address the problem are desirable.
