“Speeding ruins lives”: Mombasa rolls out road safety campaign to curb accidents during festive season

The Mombasa County Government, in collaboration with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the National Police Service (NPS), has launched a new initiative aimed at reducing speeding and promoting road safety across the region.

The campaign, dubbed Slow Down, Speeding Ruins Lives, will focus on raising awareness about the dangers of speeding, particularly during the upcoming festive season when many people travel for celebrations.

It encourages drivers to adhere to speed limits and highlights the life-altering consequences of speeding through personal stories.

The campaign, which will run across television, radio, and digital platforms in five languages, will also be supported by digital billboards and police-led outreach at key traffic points in Mombasa. Police officers will engage drivers, encouraging them to pledge to drive safely.

The NTSA, in partnership with local leaders and community organisations, will use social media to extend the campaign's reach.

Speed cameras will also be deployed along major roads in Mombasa to enforce the speed limits, and offenders will face fines or, in severe cases, court appearances.

Victims of road crashes

Mary Wanja, a 35-year-old resident of Likoni, shared her traumatic experience of a crash caused by a speeding matatu that left her husband, John, paralysed.

“It was just a normal day. I was traveling with my husband in a matatu that was speeding. Suddenly, there was a loud bang. When we got to the hospital, the doctor told us my husband would never walk again. I was devastated and didn’t know where to start. Now, I am left as the breadwinner of my family while also taking care of my paralyzed husband. Speeding may seem thrilling, but your life can change in an instant,” she said.

Similarly, Ruth Machocho, 28, shared her painful story of losing a leg in a crash caused by a speeding truck on the old Malindi Road in Nyali. Now using a prosthetic limb, Ruth expressed hope that others would not have to endure the same trauma.

“It’s hard to look at my life now, but I hope no one else has to go through this,” she said.

The Authority in collaboration with Vital Strategies under the Bloomberg Philanthropies for Global Road Safety, NPS and Mombasa County Government have today launched the festive season road safety campaign with signing of a pledge to slow down. The campaign theme is a call for… pic.twitter.com/57gp6TeeIe

— NTSA KENYA (@ntsa_kenya) December 10, 2024

In a statement, Mombasa Governor Abdullswamad Sheriff Nassir praised the campaign, urging drivers to observe speed limits as the festive season approaches.

“We continue to lose far too many lives on our roads due to speeding. I urge all drivers and road users within Mombasa and across the country, as we approach the festive season and celebrate with our families, to observe the set speed limits. Drive safe to arrive safe,” he said.

The initiative is part of a broader effort to address road safety issues in Mombasa, where speeding has been identified as a leading cause of traffic-related accidents.

According to a 2023 NTSA report, over 4,000 lives are lost on Kenyan roads each year, with speeding contributing significantly to these fatalities.

NTSA Director General George Njao emphasised the importance of adhering to safe speed limits, noting that speeding has claimed far too many lives.

"Observing safe speed limits is not just about following traffic laws; it’s about saving lives," he said, noting that the authority is committed to working with the NPS to prevent road traffic crashes during the festive season.

Vipul Patel, BIGRS Initiative Coordinator, highlighted the global importance of speed management for road safety.

"Effective speed management is critical in ensuring road safety," he said.

Communication Manager for Kenya at Vital Strategies, Tsion Kiros, added, “Governments need to fundamentally reimagine road safety: prioritising those most at risk—pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists—to reduce the likelihood and the severity of crashes."

The campaign, supported by police enforcement, aims to educate the public on the dangers of speeding and the importance of following speed limits to reduce the risk of accidents and save lives.

Developed with technical support from Vital Strategies, a global public health organisation, the initiative is part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS). It was shaped by message testing across four counties, including collaborations with USIU-Africa, to ensure maximum emotional impact.