The Long-Distance Drivers and Conductors Association (LoDDCA) has accused government authorities of the increased road accidents recently witnessed in the country.
The association particularly pointed fingers at the Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) and the police for neglecting drivers' efforts to prevent road accidents intensified.
LoDDCA raised concern, noting that crashes continued to occur despite continuous campaigns. They said the response from the relevant authorities remains predictable, after the accidents, as they often blame the drivers, without taking into consideration what the drivers go through.
They claimed that they are often sidelined from policy making and representation by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the Ministry of Transport, the Kenha police and other relevant authorities.
"Drivers, the very people at the center of road safety have been reduced to spectators in a system that claims to protect lives.," they claimed.
The drivers noted that they are the key stakeholders in road safety since they understand road conditions, fatigue, pressure from employers and even fatigue, better than anyone else therefore, sidelining them during critical decision making about them is unfair.
They claimed that they have continued to raise concerns about their working conditions and issues affecting them through written letters and public forums, but they have remained unanswered, claiming that the exclusion was not accidental, but structural.
"Issues such as excessive working hours, forced night driving, solo long-distance trips without relief, intimidation by employers, poor pay, unsafe routes, and lack of rest are acknowledged informally but ignored institutionally," the drivers stated.
They accused the Ministry of Labour of remaining silent in enforcing related laws in the transport sector. They also accused police of demanding and encouraging bribery rather than doing their job as mandated by the law.
Their concern follows several road accidents witnessed in the country, especially in December and at the start of 2026.
Reports by NTSA show that over 16 people were killed and several others were injured in the first 72 hours of the new year. Recently, on Tuesday, January 6, six people were confirmed dead after a fatal road crash along the Londiani-Muhoroni road.
The motorists now demand fundamental restructuring of how road safety is approached, noting that the current measures by the authorities have proven to fail. They called for the establishment of a Driver Safety Council so as to include drivers in essential decision-making when drafting rules affecting them.
