Ex-NTSA boss Francis Meja blames speeding, lawlessness for road accidents
By Mustafa Juma, August 11, 2025Former National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) Director General Francis Meja has sounded the alarm over what he describes as a worsening road safety crisis in Kenya.
Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on Monday, August 11, 2025, Meja attributed the rising road carnage to reckless behaviour by motorists and other road users.
He argued that driver indiscipline, speeding, and disregard for basic traffic rules remain the leading causes of deadly accidents.
“We have a problem, and I don’t think we are getting a solution. The behaviour of the majority of road users is a very big contributing factor to the challenges that we are having in road safety,” Meja said.
Meja on Kisumu crash
Citing the recent Kisumu fatal crash, Meja suggested speeding was likely a major factor behind the high-impact incident.
He also criticised boda boda riders for routinely flouting traffic regulations, describing their conduct on the roads as “very unfortunate”.
The former NTSA boss stressed that the foundation of road safety lies in behaviour change.
However, he noted that such a change is only possible if traffic laws are applied consistently and enforcement remains firm.
“Look at the driver; issues like speeding the motor vehicles. If you look at the Kisumu incident, without having referred to anywhere, I cannot rule out speeding because for such an impact to happen, this vehicle must have been at a high speed. If you look at the Boda Boda and the way they use the roads, it is very unfortunate that they don’t observe even the basic traffic rules. It must begin with behaviour change. For behaviour to change, you must be consistent in the application of the law and in enforcement,” he said.
CS Chirchir’s intervention
Meja’s remarks come just hours after Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport Davis Chirchir condemned the recent surge in road traffic accidents across Kenya, calling on all road users to observe safety regulations diligently.
In a statement released on Monday, August 11, 2025, Chirchir expressed condolences to families who lost loved ones and wished a quick recovery to those injured in crashes reported over the past few days.
According to the Ministry of Roads and Transport, a total of 2,933 fatalities have been recorded between January and August 10, 2025.
Alarmingly, 80 of these deaths occurred in just the last four days. The recent spike involves public service vehicles, private cars, and commercial trucks, raising serious concerns about road safety compliance.