City Affairs

Thika Superhighway: Nairobi's most dangerous road with highest crash fatalities

A section of Thika Road, Nairobi. (Photo: X)

By Maureen Kinyanjui | Friday, May 17, 2024

The National Transport and Safety Authority data which captures road statistics between January 1 to April 30, 2024, reveals that Nairobi recorded 176 fatalities from road crashes.

You are more likely to encounter a road crash on Nairobi's Thika Superhighway than on any other road in Nairobi.

In the latest data from NTSA, the 50-kilometre Thika highway which cost of construction amounted to Sh32 billion was ranked as the county's deadliest road accounting for 13 road crash fatalities.

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The National Transport and Safety Authority data which captures road statistics between January 1 to April 30, 2024, reveals that Nairobi recorded 176 fatalities from road crashes.

Kangundo, Mombasa, and Outering roads recorded the same statistics, each with 12 road crash fatalities.

Waiyaki Way takes the third spot as the riskiest, accounting for 10 deaths in the period under review.

Eastern bypass, Juja, and Ngong Roads come in fourth, with the report showing seven people perished on the road over the same period.

Kamukunji's Yusuf Haji Avenue however according to NTSA is among five roads with the least number of road crash fatalities with one case each.

The other roads include Zimmerman, Wanyie, and Wundanyi, and Within Masimba.

Pedestrians in Nairobi lead in fatalities at 89, followed by motorcyclists recording 34 deaths.

In the same period, at least 20 passengers have lost their lives in road crashes.

"Drivers and Pillion passengers each recorded 12 fatalities from road crashes," reads the report.

In the first four months of 2024, nine pedal cyclists lost their lives in road crashes.

Privately owned vehicles recorded the highest number of types of vehicles involved in road crashes that caused deaths at 40.

Unknown vehicles came in second with 39 road fatalities, followed by Public Service Vehicles recording 38 deaths from road crashes.

Commercial and bodabodas have each recorded 30 and 25 road crash fatalities in Nairobi.

In the period under review, three government-owned vehicles have been involved in road crashes that led to deaths while pedal cycles recorded only one fatality.

When the NTSA launched the Northern Corridor and Nairobi County Route Hazard Mapping Report in 2018, it revealed that Nairobi has the country's highest number of dangerous roads.

Of the 273 accident blackspots countrywide, more than 70 or about a quarter are in Nairobi.

They included the Haile Selassie-Railway roundabout and Riverside Drive junction.

Others were the Landhies-Kamukunji roundabout on Landhies Road, the JKIA Airport turnoff, St Teresa junction in Eastleigh, the Burma footbridge on Jogoo Road and Blue Post Bridge on Thika Super Highway.

For Nairobi, the report read, black spots existed largely due to a lack of designated pedestrian crossings, underpasses and footbridges in areas with high density in the human population near busy roads.

"The needs of vulnerable road users (pedestrians, children, the disabled and cyclists) must be identified and prioritised in designing and implementing road infrastructure projects," read the report.

It was also noted that several black spots exist due to a lack of adequate parking facilities where heavy commercial vehicles park along the roadside, posing danger to other road users especially at night and in bad weather.