By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Kenya, 6 January 2026 - The Long-Distance Drivers and Conductors Association (LoDDCA) has laid the blame for the recent surge in deadly road accidents squarely on government agencies, accusing them of sidelining drivers while failing to address the real causes of crashes.
The association singled out the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and the police, saying their approach to road safety has become reactive, predictable and unfairly targeted at drivers.
LoDDCA said that despite frequent safety campaigns and compliance checks, accidents continue to claim lives, yet authorities routinely rush to blame drivers after tragedies without listening to their experiences on the road.
“Drivers, the very people at the centre of road safety, have been reduced to spectators in a system that claims to protect lives,” the association said in a statement.
The drivers argued that they are key stakeholders who best understand the daily realities of transport work, including poor road conditions, fatigue, pressure from employers and long, unsafe routes. Excluding them from policy-making, they said, has weakened efforts to improve safety.
According to LoDDCA, drivers have repeatedly raised concerns through letters and public forums, but these appeals have largely gone unanswered. The association described the exclusion as deliberate rather than accidental.
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“Issues such as excessive working hours, forced night driving, solo long-distance trips without relief, intimidation by employers, poor pay, unsafe routes, and lack of rest are acknowledged informally but ignored institutionally,” the drivers stated.
They also accused the Ministry of Labour of failing to enforce labour laws in the transport sector, arguing that unsafe working conditions directly contribute to accidents. Police officers were criticised for allegedly encouraging bribery instead of enforcing traffic laws professionally.
The complaints come against the backdrop of a spike in fatal crashes during the festive season and the opening days of 2026. NTSA data shows that more than 16 people were killed within the first 72 hours of the new year. On Tuesday (today), six people died in a separate crash along the Londiani–Muhoroni road.
One of the most tragic incidents occurred on January 1, when 11 people were killed in a crash at Kaliech, Katito, in Nyakach Sub-County, Kisumu County.
LoDDCA now wants a fundamental rethink of road safety policy, warning that current measures have failed. The association is calling for the creation of a Driver Safety Council to ensure drivers are included in key decisions and reforms that directly affect their lives and work on Kenya’s roads.
