NTSA data ranks Thika Superhighway the most dangerous road in Nairobi

Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, has always led in the number of road crashes, with the Thika Superhighway remaining more dangerous than any other road in the city

According to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), this 50-kilometre stretch, which cost Sh32 billion to build, has earned the grim title of Nairobi's deadliest road.

Data captured by the NTSA between January 1 and April 30, 2024, reveals that Nairobi recorded 176 fatalities from road crashes, out of 1,554 nationwide, with Thika Superhighway alone claiming the lives of 13 people.

Kangundo, Mombasa, and Outering roads recorded 12 road crash fatalities each.

Outering Road has been making headlines with the number of accidents between 2018 and 2019.

Many pedestrians prefer shortcuts, such as jumping ditches between roads to cross over, instead of using the existing footbridges.

In June 2018, NTSA ranked Nairobi’s Outering Road as the most dangerous highway in the city. In August 2019, it came second after Mombasa Road as the deadliest road in Nairobi.

In 2015, Nairobi launched the Sh8.5 billion conversion of the road to a 13-kilometer dual carriageway with more than eight footbridges for safety.

The NTSA 2024 data ranked Waiyaki Way in the third spot as the riskiest, accounting for 10 deaths in the period under review.

Eastern bypass, Juja, and Ngong roads come in fourth, with the report showing seven people perished on the road over the same period.

Notably, NTSA data ranks Kamukunji’s Mohamed Yusuf Haji Avenue among five roads with the least number of road crash fatalities, with one case each. The others are Zimmerman, Wanyie, Wundanyi, and Masimba roads.

Pedestrians lead in fatalities at 89, followed by motorcyclists at 34 in the period under review. In the same period, at least 20 passengers lost their lives in road crashes.

“Drivers and pillion passengers each recorded 12 fatalities from road crashes,” the report says.

In the first four months of 2024, nine pedal cyclists lost their lives in road crashes.

Privately owned vehicles recorded the highest number of types of vehicles involved in road crashes, causing 40 deaths.

Unknown vehicles came in second with 39 road fatalities, followed by public service vehicles, which caused 38 deaths.

In the period under review, three government-owned vehicles were involved in road crashes that led to deaths, while pedal cycles recorded only one fatality.

When the NTSA launched the Northern Corridor and Nairobi County Route Hazard Mapping Report in 2018, it revealed that Nairobi has the country's highest number of dangerous roads.

Of the 273 accident blackspots countrywide, more than 70, or about a quarter, are in Nairobi. They include the Haile Selassie-Railways roundabout and Riverside Drive junction.

Others are the Landhies-Kamukunji roundabout on Landhies Road, the JKIA Airport turnoff, the St. Teresa junction in Eastleigh, the Burma footbridge on Jogoo Road, and the Blue Post bridge on Thika Super Highway.

The report says blackspots in Nairobi are largely due to a lack of designated pedestrian crossings, underpasses, and footbridges in areas with high density in the human population near busy roads.

“It is imperative that the needs of vulnerable road users (pedestrians, children, the disabled, and cyclists) are identified and prioritised in designing and implementing road infrastructure projects,” says the report.

It was also noted that several blackspots exist due to a lack of adequate parking facilities, with heavy commercial vehicles parking on roadsides, posing danger to other road users, especially at night and in bad weather.