Nairobi Pedestrians Arrested As NTSA Launches Surprise Crackdown [PHOTOS]

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) in conjunction with officers from the National Police Service (NPS) on Tuesday, March 26 ambushed hundreds of pedestrians in Nairobi during a surprise crackdown.

Without indicating exactly how many pedestrians were arrested, NTSA revealed in a statement that the crackdown saw the arrest and detention of several pedestrians found to be violating traffic rules.

The rules included using footbridges to cross the roads instead of undesignated crossing points.

Police officers arrest pedestrians during a nationwide crackdown on March 26, 2024. /NTSA

Others were arrested for walking on the road risking their lives instead of using the walkways in various parts of the city. 

Photos shared by the Authority showed that most of the affected pedestrians were along the Uhuru Highway/Mombasa Road underneath the Nairobi Expressway, mostly around the Nyayo and Bellevue areas.

"Pedestrians must use available footbridges, walkways and other designated crossing points to ensure their safety.

"This morning, several pedestrians who failed to obey traffic rules were detained. To avoid any inconvenience, we urge pedestrians to observe traffic rules," stated NTSA.

It is not clear which action was or would be taken against the pedestrians after the morning arrest as the crackdown was still ongoing across the country.

The crackdown comes as part of new reforms instituted in the sector by Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba  Murkomen and his Interior counterpart Kithure Kindiki following a spike in accidents.

The operation launched at the beginning of March, which initially targeted motorists, led to the arrest of 22,958 drivers, 1,086 of whom faced prosecution over drunk driving.

Accident statistics show that as of February 2024, 649 people had lost their lives in road accidents in the country.

The majority of the fatalities were pedestrians, followed by motorcyclists, passengers, drivers, pillion passengers and pedal cyclists. Motorcyclists recorded 152 deaths marking a slight decrease compared to 177 in 2023.

Back in October 2021, a crackdown similar to today's saw more than 300 pedestrians arrested by authorities along the Outering Road for crossing it instead of using the footbridges already in place.

They were bundled into police vehicles and presented before the City Court where they were fined between Ksh500 and Ksh3,000.