As the festive season approaches, Chief Justice Martha Koome has issued a strong warning to motorists across Keny not to bribe traffic officers if arrested.
Speaking on Monday during a Special Council Meeting of the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ), Koome emphasized the urgent need for public cooperation, coordinated enforcement, and respect for the law to curb road carnage.
“Do not pay any bribe when arrested. There will be heightened monitoring of human rights violations,” Justice Koome said, highlighting that enforcement agencies will closely watch operations to ensure accountability and protect citizens’ rights.
The Chief Justice highlighted that risky road behaviour, particularly speeding, tends to spike during holiday travel.
“We note the risky road behaviour which includes speeding, and we were asking one another if, when going for celebrations during this season, we forget that where we are going, whether it is to celebrate in our rural homes or wherever, those destinations do not move, so that we speed away,” she said.
The warning comes amid a worrying rise in road traffic deaths, from 4,479 in 2024 to 4,682 in 2025, a 5% increase, as authorities anticipate heavier traffic, congestion, and a spike in accidents during the holiday season.
“Risky behaviour such as speeding, fatigue, overlapping, and drunk driving continues to claim lives unnecessarily. Most victims are often innocent pedestrians or motorists,” Koome added.
Koome called for collaboration across the justice system and among road users, stressing that public awareness and coordinated enforcement were critical to saving lives.
“We are asking for collaboration and awareness about our own safety when we set out for the festivities. For seamless coordination, we need to work together—all of us in the justice system,” she said.
The NCAJ, which brings together the National Police Service, ODPP, Judiciary, NTSA, Kenya Prisons Service, EACC, LSK, and other agencies, has outlined a comprehensive multi-agency plan to enhance road safety.
Central to this initiative is the deployment of mobile traffic courts that will operate on both physical and digital platforms to fast-track cases during the festive period.
“Those charged will quickly get in touch with their lawyers through this system,” Koome noted.
Authorities will also increase roadblocks and inspections for vehicles and motorbikes, particularly along high-risk corridors, to ensure compliance with roadworthiness standards.
Motorists are being warned against overlapping, speeding, and drunk driving, while the public is urged to report violations and emergencies via toll-free numbers 999, 911, and 112.
Justice Koome stressed that road safety is a collective responsibility.
“No single agency can address road carnage alone. We must collaborate as the justice system, civil society, and the public to save lives. Enforcement, public awareness, and coordination are critical,” she said.
The Chief Justice outlined that authorities will roll out diverse measures to enhance road safety and prevent traffic-related deaths, noting that many victims are often innocent pedestrians or motorists.
“We must put in place elaborate and diverse measures to enhance road safety and prevent traffic-related deaths. Most of the time, people are innocent, either as pedestrians or drivers and someone else causes the accident,” she said.
A key initiative is the deployment of mobile traffic courts, using both physical and digital platforms to fast-track traffic cases during the festive period.
“We will deploy mobile traffic courts using physical and digital means, with close collaboration. We will share this so that those who are charged can quickly get in touch with their lawyers,” Koome said.
The council also announced that EACC officers will be deployed along major highways to deter corruption, ensuring that no driver is tempted to offer a bribe, and that human rights violations are closely monitored.
Additionally, health agencies will provide standby ambulances for rapid response to accidents.
“The festive season is a time of celebration, but it should not be a time of tragedy on our roads. By following traffic rules, refusing to engage in corruption, and looking out for one another, Kenyans can reduce accidents, save lives, and ensure safer travel,” Koome concluded.
The NCAJ’s communiqué underlines that addressing road safety is a shared responsibility, reaffirming that legal, policy, and administrative reforms, alongside public cooperation, are essential to prevent traffic-related deaths and injuries during the festive season and beyond.
