The National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) has convened a special meeting following a sharp rise in deaths caused by road accidents during the festive season.
In a statement, the council said the holiday period is marked by increased road use, heavy traffic and a higher risk of accidents. NCAJ brings together key institutions, including the National Police Service (NPS), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Judiciary, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the State Department for Correctional Services, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).
The council sent condolences to families who have lost loved ones in road accidents.
“Road traffic accidents pose a serious public safety and security challenge. They burden the healthcare system, cause loss of life and livelihoods, and disrupt the movement of people and goods across the country,” the statement said.
NCAJ warned that dangerous road behaviours such as speeding, driver fatigue, careless overtaking, drunk driving and failure to follow traffic laws are leading to preventable deaths. The council called on motorists, pedestrians and all stakeholders to strictly follow traffic rules and promote road safety.
The warning comes as fatal accidents continue to be reported across the country.
On Sunday night, at least 10 people were killed in a road accident near Chabera Trading Centre in Rachuonyo East, Homa Bay County. Police said six others were seriously injured in the crash, which occurred at about 8 pm.
The accident involved a Nissan matatu and a lorry that was travelling from Oyugis towards Katito. Police said the lorry lost control, veered into the matatu’s lane and caused a head-on collision.
“The people who died include six women and four men, among them the matatu driver,” police said.
The matatu was carrying church members from Nyamira County who were returning from Kakamega County, where they had attended a wedding.
Rachuonyo East Sub-county Police Commander Laban Omol confirmed the incident and said the lorry driver fled the scene after the accident. The injured were taken to Rachuonyo South Sub-county Hospital in Oyugis for treatment, while the bodies were moved to the same hospital’s mortuary.
Commander Omol urged motorists to exercise caution during the festive season to prevent similar tragedies.
Police said the deaths in Homa Bay raised to 22 the number of people killed in separate road accidents across the country on Sunday alone. The victims included 10 passengers, five pedestrians, four riders, two drivers and one pillion passenger.
Another 24 people were seriously injured in the accidents and were admitted to various hospitals.
The latest incidents follow another deadly crash on Saturday along the Kericho–Nyamira road in the Ekerenyo area, where eight people lost their lives.
According to NTSA data, at least 4,458 people were killed in road accidents between January and December 2025. By December 2, road deaths had already surpassed the 4,311 fatalities recorded in the whole of last year.
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