NAIROBI, Kenya — Long-distance drivers in Kenya have accused state agencies and transport employers of ignoring fatigue, labour abuse, and poor road infrastructure, warning that deep-seated systemic failures are fuelling a spike in deadly road crashes witnessed in the opening weeks of 2026.
Through the Long Distance Drivers and Conductors Association (LODCCA), drivers and conductors say government responses to road carnage remain superficial, relying on cosmetic crackdowns and selective enforcement while failing to confront the root causes of accidents.
Since the start of the year, road accidents have surged nationwide as Kenyans returned from upcountry travel following the festive season.
Media reports indicate that more than 30 people have been killed and over 50 injured in multiple crashes reported across different regions since January 2026.
LODCCA says fatigue, unsafe work schedules, and employer pressure—factors drivers describe as central to road safety—are routinely treated as secondary concerns by regulators.
“Drivers, the very people at the center of road safety, have been reduced to spectators in a system that claims to protect lives,” the association said in a statement, accusing the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Labour, the National Police Service (NPS) and the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) of sidelining drivers from meaningful decision-making.
Policy exclusion and labour abuse
The association said drivers possess first-hand knowledge of risks such as fatigue, unsafe schedules, vehicle defects, stalled vehicles, and poor road conditions, yet are either excluded from policy formulation or included only symbolically.
Repeated concerns raised through letters, meetings, and public forums—including excessive working hours, forced night driving, solo long-distance trips without relief, employer intimidation, low pay, unsafe routes, and lack of rest—have been acknowledged informally but ignored institutionally, LODCCA said.
“This exclusion is not accidental. It is structural,” the statement read.
According to the association, labour violations in the transport sector pose a direct threat to public safety.
Drivers reported working between 16 and 24 hours without adequate rest, being denied lawful off-days, facing threats for refusing unsafe trips, and being subjected to pay systems that reward speed over safety. Many also lack medical cover, wellness support, and fatigue management.
“A fatigued and exploited driver is not merely a labour issue; it is a road safety emergency,” LODCCA said, faulting the Ministry of Labour for weak and inconsistent enforcement of labour laws.
Enforcement and infrastructure failures
The association accused the National Police Service of shifting from prevention to selective punishment and rent-seeking, saying enforcement often targets minor technicalities while ignoring labour-related offences such as excessive working hours and employer coercion.
“Transport companies that systematically abuse drivers are rarely questioned, while drivers fearful of losing their jobs are criminalised for circumstances beyond their control,” the statement said.
LODCCA also flagged unattended stalled trucks as a major contributor to fatal crashes. While traffic law requires dangerous stalled vehicles to be secured and removed within a reasonable time, broken-down trucks are often left for hours or days without warning signs, reflective triangles, or lighting.
“The same enforcement machinery that appears swiftly for routine checks is absent when a stalled truck becomes a rolling death trap,” the association said.
NTSA was criticised for high-visibility but low-impact interventions such as roadblocks, impoundments, and public campaigns, which LODCCA said create the illusion of action while punishing drivers and enabling bribery.
KeNHA was similarly faulted for poor road conditions, signage, and visibility, with major corridors such as the Kisumu–Busia Road cited for potholes, failing shoulders, and faded markings.
Leadership and solutions
LODCCA also criticised Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir and Principal Secretary Mohamed Daghar for failing to demonstrate urgency or engage drivers directly.
“There have been no emergency forums, no direct dialogue with driver representatives, and no clear roadmap to reverse the growing crisis,” it said.
The association called for drivers to be placed at the centre of road safety governance, recommending formal driver representation in NTSA, joint enforcement targeting working conditions, strict enforcement of rest-hour regulations on employers, protection for whistleblowers, broader crash investigations that include labour and infrastructure factors, urgent road repairs, and swift action on stalled vehicles.
“Drivers are not the problem. They are the solution,” LODCCA said.
Warning that continued inaction would cost more lives, the association concluded: “Every stalled truck left unattended is a policy failure. Every ignored road defect is a choice. Every preventable death is an indictment. Road safety is not a slogan. It is a responsibility.”
