Road accident-related deaths in Nakuru County fell to 27 in August 2026, down from 34 a year earlier.

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) warns that those gains could be wiped out this December, as it trains public transport operators in Nakuru town ahead of the festive rush.

The four-day training brings together drivers, managers and directors of Saccos and transport companies covering road safety, discipline, leadership, customer care and professional management of public service vehicles.

According to NTSA's August crash report, Nakuru ranks fourth in road deaths among the counties, behind Nairobi 56, Kiambu 43 and Makueni 32. In 2025, Nakuru shared second place with Kiambu on 34 deaths whereas the national fatalities rose by 6.5 per cent, from 461 to 491 in 2026.

Drivers, managers and directors of Saccos and transport companies during a training on road safety in Nakuru by NTSA

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/ MTAA WANGU

NTSA Nakuru Regional Manager John Parteroi said the campaign targets risky behavior by drivers and weak management in Saccos. Noting that you find most of the behavior on the road is actually individual related. Adding that the authority wants operators to prepare for December, when movement between towns and rural homes surges.

According to the NTSA reports on road safety crash trends released on August 2025/2026 the national figures show where the danger lies. Pedestrians made up 174 of the 491 deaths 35.4 per cent, while motorcyclist deaths jumped 23 per cent to 133.

“Loss of control caused 99 deaths and hit-and-run accounted for 83 which were the leading causes of death on the roads. The deadliest hour was 6pm to 7pm, and Friday to Sunday accounted for about half of all fatalities in road accidents. These are national figures, but the pattern is familiar to anyone who walks, rides a boda boda or travels home after dark on busy roads,” the report notes.

Parteroi urged Saccos to keep vehicles licensed and roadworthy, observe traffic rules and drive with caution.

He also asked Saccos to keep physical offices where passengers can lodge complaints. Some, he notes, had closed their offices or moved without telling customers, leaving commuters without an official place to launch complaints.

To ease the burden on operators, NTSA encouraged use of its online services, including applications for road service licenses and PSV badges. Parteroi said the new E-Logbook means operators no longer have to travel to Nairobi to seek some services.

Operators welcomed the training, with Samuel Gatukui, Operations Manager at Mololine Services Limited, saying the focus on governance and leadership was timely.

"Many things have been happening behind the scenes without NTSA coming to train operators. With the ongoing sessions I hope they will clarify licensing procedures after the suspension and help reduce the crashes,” he noted.

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