The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has intensified road safety enforcement as concerns grow over rising road accidents during the festive travel period.

On Tuesday, December 16, 2025, NTSA said its Nakuru team had launched a joint compliance checks operation at Buffalo, along the Mai Mahiu–Suswa road on the busy Nairobi–Narok highway. The operation is being carried out in collaboration with officers from Mai Mahiu Police Station.

“Nakuru Team Joint compliance checks operation ongoing at Bufallo, Mai mahiu Suswa road along Nairobi Narok Highway – Mai Mahiu Police Station. UsalamaBarabarani,” the authority stated in an X post.

The checks come at a time when traffic volumes have increased sharply across the country, with thousands of Kenyans travelling for the December holidays. The Nairobi–Narok highway is one of the key corridors experiencing heavy movement, especially by long-distance buses, matatus and private vehicles.

NTSA has in recent days warned drivers to strictly observe lane discipline, saying poor driving behaviour continues to fuel road carnage. In a message shared on X on December 15, the authority urged motorists to stay in their lanes, maintain consistent road positioning and avoid unnecessary weaving.

According to NTSA, indiscipline on the roads remains a major contributor to crashes, alongside speeding, dangerous overtaking and failure to observe traffic rules. These risks increase during peak travel hours, particularly on highways with narrow sections and high commercial traffic.

Rising toll, urgent action

Latest figures from NTSA show the situation has worsened this year. By early December 2025, at least 4,458 people had died in road crashes, surpassing the 4,311 fatalities recorded during the same period last year. Pedestrians account for the highest number of deaths, followed by motorcyclists, passengers and drivers.

Recent accidents have reinforced the urgency of enforcement. In the early hours of Monday, December 15, seven passengers were injured after an Easy Coach bus rammed into a stalled lorry at Ngata along the Nakuru–Eldoret highway.

The crash happened at around 3 a.m. County traffic police enforcement officer Ogola said the lorry is believed to have developed mechanical problems before stopping on the road. The injured passengers were taken to hospital, and no deaths were reported.

Two days earlier, on December 13, former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo died in a head-on collision at Karai on the Nairobi–Nakuru highway. Jirongo was driving towards Nairobi when his Mercedes-Benz collided with a Climax Coaches bus carrying more than 60 passengers.

Other serious crashes this year include a multi-vehicle pile-up at Moi’s Bridge on the Kitale–Eldoret highway on December 10, an accident in Sango village, Kakamega County, on December 1 that killed nine people, and the September Kariandusi crash on the Nairobi–Nakuru highway that claimed more than a dozen members of one family.

NTSA says the joint compliance checks aim to reduce these incidents by enforcing traffic laws, inspecting vehicles and ensuring drivers follow safety rules. The authority has urged motorists to remain cautious, especially during festive travel, and to remember that safe driving saves lives.