President William Ruto has directed the urgent implementation of instant traffic fines and the rollout of surveillance cameras nationwide as part of measures to address the rising number of road accidents in Kenya.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, while receiving a report from the National Council on the Administration of Justice on road safety, the President emphasized the need for swift and firm interventions to reduce fatalities and injuries on Kenyan roads.
Ruto noted that instant fines would deter traffic offenders and ensure accountability, pointing out that the current system has been undermined by corruption and inefficiencies.
“The reason why it is easy to pay a bribe rather than go to court is because it takes so long to pay a legitimate fine, so it encourages so many people to pay a bribe,” he said.
“We must make it much more painful to pay the bribe and much easier to pay the legal fine.”
The Head of State also ordered Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir to oversee the installation of CCTV and speed cameras within one month, saying the technology would provide reliable evidence and improve enforcement.
“Why haven’t we rolled out the cameras on our roads? It is just as simple as that,” Ruto said.
“The cameras will provide foolproof evidence about the offence. We have the law, we have the cameras. Let’s roll them out.”
According to the President, Kenya records over 4,000 road fatalities annually, with 5,009 deaths reported in 2025, an increase of 261 compared to 2024. He added that road accidents cost the country approximately five percent of its Gross Domestic Product, translating to an estimated loss of KSh 450 billion each year.
Ruto further stated that some traffic offences would be shifted to administrative handling to strengthen enforcement and improve efficiency.
Chief Justice Martha Koome, who was present at the event, proposed enhanced coordination among key institutions, including the Judiciary, National Transport and Safety Authority, National Police Service, Director of Public Prosecutions, and Kenya Prisons, to improve enforcement and adjudication of traffic offences.
The President reaffirmed the government’s commitment to road safety, emphasizing the need for a collective national effort to end preventable road deaths.
“We cannot, and we will not, accept the continued loss of Kenyan lives on our roads. The government is fully committed to ensuring that the recommendations arising from this pilot are implemented decisively and without undue delay,” he said.
