“We urge Kenyans not to offer or pay bribes,” she said.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) will deploy officers along major highways during the festive season to deter corruption and monitor human rights compliance as part of enhanced, lawful traffic enforcement measures.
This was announced following a special meeting of the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ), convened to deliberate on urgent measures to improve road safety and traffic management during the festive period and beyond.
The meeting was chaired by Chief Justice and NCAJ Chairperson, Justice Martha Koome. Addressing the media after the meeting, CJ Koome emphasized that the EACC’s involvement is aimed at ensuring integrity and respect for human rights during enforcement.
“The EACC will deploy officers to monitor the enforcement of traffic laws and deter corruption. We urge Kenyans not to offer or pay bribes,” she said.
“At the centre of all these efforts is the protection of human dignity and human rights.”
CJ Koome said the Council was deeply concerned by the rising number of deaths caused by road traffic accidents, which she described as a national public safety and security crisis.
“Statistics show that traffic-related fatalities have increased from 4,479 at this time last year to 4,682 this year, representing a five per cent rise,” CJ Koome said.
“These numbers are alarming. We are losing breadwinners, parents, and children, and the impact on families, the health system, and the economy is devastating.”
She noted that the festive season traditionally sees increased travel, congestion, and a higher risk of road crashes, calling for collective responsibility among state agencies, motorists, pedestrians, and the wider public.
The Chief Justice urged Kenyans to avoid risky road behaviour such as speeding, drunk driving, and overloading, reminding motorists that holiday destinations “do not move” and there is no justification for reckless driving.
To address the challenge, the NCAJ resolved to implement a series of coordinated interventions, including strengthened multi-agency collaboration, joint enforcement operations, and enhanced visibility along high-risk corridors to ensure the smooth flow of people and goods without disrupting festive travel.
Among the key measures announced is the deployment of mobile traffic courts, both physical and electronic, to enable the swift handling of traffic offences.
The courts will involve coordinated participation from the National Police Service, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Judiciary, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the Kenya Prisons Service, the EACC, and the LSK. Offenders will be allowed reasonable time to contact legal representation, with daily updates to be provided on the locations of the mobile courts.
The NCAJ also resolved to intensify vehicle and motorcycle inspections through the strategic deployment of roadblocks, urging Kenyans to ensure their vehicles and motorbikes are roadworthy before travelling.
Particular attention will be paid to motorcycle operators who violate traffic laws.
The Council further called on the media, civil society, faith-based organizations, the private sector, and communities to partner with justice sector agencies in public sensitization and prevention efforts. Emergency reporting lines — 999, 911, and 112 — remain operational 24 hours a day.
Additional measures include encouraging the health sector to deploy standby ambulances for rapid response, scaling up public education on road safety, and mobilizing resources across agencies to support festive season interventions.
Looking beyond the holidays, the NCAJ expressed its commitment to sustaining these efforts through legal, policy, and administrative reforms aimed at strengthening the administration of justice in traffic-related offenses.
“We cannot succeed as individual agencies,” CJ Koome said. “This is a collective responsibility. Together, we must act decisively to save lives on our roads — during this festive season and beyond.”
The high-level forum brought together key justice and security sector leaders, including Vice Chairperson and Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga, Principal Secretary for Correctional Services Dr. Beacco, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Commissioner General of Prisons Patrick Aranduh, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo, among other senior officials. By Bruhan Makong, Capital News