NTSA Launches Free Nationwide Eye-Testing Campaign to Combat Rising Road Deaths

Kenya’s transport regulator has rolled out a comprehensive vision screening programme for motorists as the country grapples with a surge in traffic fatalities during the early weeks of 2026.

The National Transport and Safety Authority began implementing the initiative in Nairobi County, where more than 200 drivers underwent complimentary eye examinations on the programme’s opening day. The move represents the authority’s response to alarming statistics showing over 40 deaths from road crashes within the first three weeks of January alone—the highest toll recorded for this period.

Officials have identified inadequate night vision as a significant contributor to deadly collisions, especially on dimly lit highways where long-haul drivers navigate after dark. The screening programme will eventually reach every licensed driver across the nation at no cost.

Kenya’s road safety crisis deepened throughout 2025, with official figures revealing 4,458 people perished in traffic incidents—a 3.4 per cent climb from 4,311 fatalities the previous year. Those travelling on foot bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 1,685 deaths, whilst motorcycle riders suffered 1,148 fatalities and vehicle passengers numbered 723 among the deceased.

The data further showed 432 rear-seat passengers, 403 drivers, and 67 bicycle riders lost their lives on the country’s roads during the same twelve-month period.

Geographically, the capital led all counties with 447 deaths, whilst neighbouring Kiambu reported 387 fatalities and Nakuru recorded 318 road crash victims in 2025.

Transport authorities have pinpointed excessive speed, alcohol-impaired driving, exhausted motorists, and failure to observe safety protocols as the main factors driving the upward trajectory in casualties.

The vision testing campaign builds on previous enforcement measures, including major compliance operations conducted in June 2023 that emphasised medical fitness assessments for drivers. Regulators have stressed that darkness amplifies risks when combined with other hazardous conditions on the nation’s highways.

Historical context shows the government previously implemented a nationwide overnight travel prohibition for commercial passenger vehicles following the devastating Migaa accident on New Year’s Eve 2017, which claimed 31 lives. That regulation restricted long-distance public transport operations to daylight hours between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., though judicial intervention temporarily suspended the ban weeks later.

The eye-testing initiative coincides with recently announced rules preventing drivers with suspended licences from registering with or working under any licensed passenger transport association. Those who have had their driving privileges revoked must complete formal retraining at accredited institutions before qualifying for licence restoration.

The complimentary screening programme marks the latest component of the authority’s multi-faceted strategy targeting human error in road accidents, supplementing ongoing enforcement activities and safety interventions nationwide.