Over 4,700 killed as Kenya records 11.8 per cent rise in road crashes in 2024
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics has attributed the crashes to reckless and intoxicated driving among other factors.
A total of 11,173 road crashes were recorded across Kenya in 2024, up from 9,990 in 2023, translating to an 11.8 per cent rise, the 2025 Economic Survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has revealed.
The number of persons involved in the road crashes also jumped to 24,245 in the period, with 4,748 losing their lives, 11,937 sustaining serious injuries and 7,560 suffering minor injuries.
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Among those affected, 4,315 were pedestrians of whom 1,801 died, 2045 were seriously injured and 469 sustained minor injuries. This marked an increase of 402 pedestrians compared to the number recorded a year before.
The number of drivers involved in the crashes stood at 2,245 in the period, up from 2,099 in 2023. Of these, 404 drivers lost their lives, 1081 were seriously injured, and 760 were slightly injured.
In the same period, 874 passengers were killed, while 4,361 were gravely injured and 4,733 suffered minor injuries. In total, 9,968 passengers were involved in road crashes in 2024, down from the 10,011 in 2023.
The number of pillion passengers killed in 2024 stood at 421, while those gravely and slightly injured totalled 1,719 and 841, respectively. This marked an increase of 360 pillion passengers killed in 2023.
Cyclists
Similarly, 227 cyclists were involved in road crashes in 2024, with 82 losing their lives, 113 sustaining serious injuries, and 32 suffering minor injuries. In 2023, 185 cyclists were involved in road crashes, with 77 being killed and 108 sustaining varying injuries.
Further, a total of 4,509 motorcyclists were involved in crashes in 2024. Of these, 1,166 were killed while 2,618 were seriously injured. Another 725 motorcyclists sustained minor injuries.
In contrast, 1,170 were killed in 2023 while 2,296 suffered grave injuries and another 638 sustained minor injuries.
"Pedal cyclist casualties increased by 22.7 per cent from 185 in 2023 to 227 in 2024. Pedestrian casualties rose by 10.3 per cent to 4,315 in 2024 from 3,913 in 2023. The pillion passenger casualties increased by 13.7 per cent from 2,621 in 2023 to 2,981 in 2024," the report reads.
KNBS has attributed the crashes to reckless and intoxicated driving among other factors.
"Most traffic road accidents were attributed to speeding, overloading, failing to observe lane discipline, improper overtaking, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, total disregard of traffic laws and regulations by road users, and aggressive driving," the report says.
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