Thika Superhighway, Outering Top As Nairobi’s Deadliest Roads

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has named Thika Superhighway, Outering Road, and Waiyaki Way as some of Nairobi’s most dangerous roads.

NTSA report for the period between January 1 and August 31 shows that the Thika superhighway had the highest number of crashes, at 44 closely followed by Outering road at 43 cases.

Other roads with a high number of road accidents were Waiyaki Way which recorded 23 while both Mombasa Road and Northern Bypass had 17 accidents during the period under review. Other roads with a high number of road accidents were Waiyaki Way which recorded 23 while both Mombasa Road and Northern Bypass had 17 accidents. Eastern Bypass recorded 15 cases, Ngong Road 13, and Jogoo Road 8.

During the period under review, Nairobi recorded a total of 357 deaths out of the 3,202 road accident fatalities recorded countrywide. Pedestrians and motorcyclists were the most affected, recording a total of 199 and 81 cases respectively.

Despite expansions to allow a smooth transit, the Outer ring road has remained a killer route recording the highest number of road fatalities in the last two years. Last year the road claimed 32 lives between January and September. The United Nations (UN) in July described it as one of the most unsafe roads in the world.  Speaking during the UN high-level meeting Urban Mobility expert Claudia Adriazola-Steil gave an example of the 13-kilometer road saying that it is unsafe.

“An example from Kenya, which is not the only example, around the world this happens over and over again. But there was an investment in a highway, an urban highway named Outering in Nairobi. That, in the first nine months of 2021. It had been the most dangerous road in the city with very (many) fatalities. Ninety percent of them were pedestrians…,” she told the UN.

Nairobi Area Traffic Commandant Joshua Omukata noted that pedestrians risks their lives by crossing the busy road instead of using the footbridges or zebra crossing spots. Residents along Outer ring road have however been blaming matatus for dropping them away from footbridges.

The 13-kilometer stretch from Allsops to Taj Mall has no designated bus stops forcing Matatu drivers to pick up and drop off passengers far away from the bridges, or in the middle of the roads forcing them to walk across the road and then re-cross it by climbing the footbridges.

Residents also say that the two footbridges located at Quarry and Fedha are impassable at night due to safety issues, as some goons rob passers-by and threaten to throw them at the speeding vehicles under the bridges. Similar cases have been reported in the Kariobangi and Mutindwa footbridges, as they lack street lights, shielding goons to successfully go on with their “missions”. The pedestrians are left with no choice but to risk their lives by crossing the road.