MAK is urging motorists and transport operators to take greater responsibility for road safety.
The Motorists Association of Kenya says its campaign will target members too, as it urges road users to report dangerous driving.
The Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) has warned reckless drivers of sanctions, restrictions and possible bans in a new road safety campaign. The association says its own members will also face scrutiny as it pushes for greater responsibility on roads.
In a statement issued Tuesday, MAK urged motorists and transport operators to confront their role in rising road deaths. It described the toll as a national calamity requiring action from government, the transport industry and road users.
Campaign against reckless drivers goes beyond naming offenders
MAK said the campaign would go beyond publicly identifying offenders. It could also recommend restrictions or suspensions affecting dangerous practices, routes, vehicle categories and operating arrangements, within the law.
The association urged drivers to avoid speeding, dangerous overtaking, drink-driving, overloading and distractions. Meanwhile, it asked passengers and other road users to document dangerous conduct and report it through appropriate channels.
Such evidence could support investigations and accountability, but MAK stressed the need for verification and due process. The campaign covers private motorists, taxi drivers, matatu and long-distance bus operators, truck drivers and school transport operators. It also extends to boda boda riders, cyclists and pedestrians.
MAK acknowledged its criticism of government, NTSA, police and other agencies over enforcement failures. However, it said road users must also examine their own behaviour. Because enforcement officers cannot be everywhere, the association argued that self-regulation remains essential to preventing crashes.
Road deaths rise as highway crashes raise concern
National Transport and Safety Authority data recorded 3,995 road deaths between January 1 and October 4, 2026. That marked a 9.2 per cent increase from 3,657 deaths during the comparable period in 2025.
Pedestrians accounted for the largest number of fatalities, at 1,490, followed by motorcyclists at 1,061. The figures also included 662 passengers and 352 drivers.
Separately, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Economic Survey 2026 recorded 5,009 road deaths in 2025. This was up from 4,748 in 2024.
The figures come amid deadly crashes on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway. An October 3 collision near Salama killed 17 people, most of them Catholic pilgrims. Another crash at Kanga near Mtito Andei killed 24 people on October 25.
Both incidents renewed safety concerns along the highway, where passenger vehicles and heavy trucks share single-carriageway sections. NTSA has also identified more than 270 accident black spots nationally, including 199 along the Mombasa-Malaba Northern Corridor.
MAK called for a coordinated national response, warning against placing commercial interests, indiscipline and institutional failures above human life.
