Statistics from NTSA show 289 people died in December 2016

Staff from Safaricom, St John Ambulance and Ntsa holding placards at Salgaa centre along Nakuru-Eldoret Highway on 22 December 2017, warning motorists to maintain and obey traffic rules. [PHOTO: Harun Wathari]

At least 330 people were killed in road accidents in December alone. This figure is  significantly higher than the deaths reported in 2016.

Statistics from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) show 289 people died in December 2016.

Figures by the authority further show 2,847 have died in road accidents between January 1 and December 26, last year.

This is however lower that the 2,914 deaths recorded during the same period in 2016.

Of the deaths, pedestrians were the majority at 1,048, followed by passengers at 733. At least 708 motorcyclists were killed last year as well as 310 drivers. At least 57 pedal cyclists also lost their lives.

However, the figures from NTSA do not include the 38 people who were killed in yet another grisly accident at Migaa along the Nakuru-Eldoret road.

The authority has been under fire since the beginning of the year following increased cases of accidents.

Clamour for disbandment of NTSA started on Jamhuri Day when 40 people were killed in accidents across the country. At least 16 died at Sachang’wan, Nakuru County and another 19 in Bungoma County.

NTSA has since identified Salgaa, Sachang’wan, Migaa and Soysambu in Nakuru County, Bonje in Kilifi, Manyani in Taita Taveta and Lukenya as some of the accident-prone spots.

Other dangerous road sections are Maanzoni in Machakos, Kiima Kiu/Salama, Konza in Makueni, Ntulele and Duka Moja market centre in Narok.

Kenol to Sagana and Kenol to Murang’a sections have also been listed as dangerous.

But the authority blamed the increased cases of accidents on human error by road users even as it struggles to put in place measures to prevent more deaths.

On Sunday, some Kenyans on social media called for the disbandment of the authority, accusing it of failing to live up to its mandate.