The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has called for the declaration of road accidents a national disaster following a recent surge in fatal road crashes nationwide.
The authority took it to social media on Sunday, October 25, saying road crashes kill more than 5,000 people annually, with about 20,000 reported incidents destroying families, straining healthcare facilities and hurting economic productivity.
“As an Authority, we propose that road traffic crashes be declared a national disaster to mobilise urgent government action, secure adequate funding and ensure coordinated enforcement,” NTSA stated.
NTSA wants the proposed declaration to trigger urgent government action, provide adequate funding and strengthen coordinated enforcement measures to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Kenyan roads.
President William Ruto signs into law the Division of Revenue Bill, 2026, at State House, Nairobi, on June 15.
PCS
The authority said a national disaster classification would establish clear accountability and measurable targets for road agencies, the National Police Service (NPS), healthcare providers and county governments.
It also maintained that road safety extends beyond transport, describing it as a ‘national development and security priority’ that requires coordinated action from multiple government agencies.
The demand followed a fatal crash at Kanga near Mtito Andei along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway on Sunday, which claimed 24 lives, with numbers expected to rise according to relevant authorities such as Red Cross Kenya.
According to NTSA, the crash involved a public service vehicle and a commercial vehicle, with preliminary reports indicating a head-on collision in which improper overtaking may have contributed.
NTSA said its crash investigation team was working with police to establish the circumstances surrounding the accident, while injured passengers received treatment.
How Kenya Declares an Incident a National Disaster
Under Kenya’s Constitution and the National Disaster Risk Management Act, an incident may qualify as a national disaster when its severity overwhelms local response capacity and causes mass casualties, widespread damage, or major societal disruption.
Disasters affecting multiple counties may require national intervention, while a constitutional state of emergency under Article 58 requires a serious public threat and must be necessary when ordinary legal measures are inadequate.
Under the same act, which commenced in June 2026, disaster assessments help determine whether an incident requires intervention beyond county-level capacity.
On the other hand, the National Disaster Operations Centre (NDOC) and National Disaster Risk Management Authority (NDRMA) assess the scale of emergencies and coordinate responses, including determining whether available resources can manage the situation.
Multi-agency teams, Cabinet Secretaries and county leaders can provide recommendations through established disaster management structures before the national government considers a formal declaration.
In the latter stages, the President has constitutional powers to declare a state of emergency under Article 132(4)(d), which empowers the President to declare a state of emergency, while parliamentary oversight applies to extensions, with the National Assembly required to approve continuation beyond the initial 14 days.
Kenya’s last major officially declared national disaster was the severe drought in September 2021, when President Uhuru Kenyatta declared the crisis in arid and semi-arid regions a national disaster, where close to 2.5 million people faced acute food shortages and imminent hunger.
NTSA Nakuru team leads joint operations at Salgaa along the Nakuru -Eldoret highway on December 4, 2025.
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NTSA