NTSA Wants Road Crashes Declared a National Disaster After Kanga Collision Kills at Least 22NTSA Wants Road Crashes Declared a National Disaster After Kanga Collision Kills at Least 22
Key Highlights
- Kenya's road safety regulator has asked the government to treat road crashes as a national disaster after a head-on collision on the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway.
- NTSA says crashes kill more than 5,000 people a year and number about 20,000, and wants clear accountability targets.
- No declaration has been made, and the law requires a multi-agency assessment before the President can decide.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) on Sunday asked the government to declare road crashes a national disaster, hours after a head-on collision at Kanga, near Mtito Andei on the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway, killed at least 22 people.
The call matters beyond the grief of the families involved. The highway is the trunk of the Northern Corridor, which carries long-distance buses and cargo lorries towards Mombasa, Uganda and beyond, so any new enforcement or funding would reach bus owners, hauliers and insurers directly.
What NTSA is asking for
In a statement on 25 October, NTSA said road crashes kill more than 5,000 people a year, with about 20,000 incidents reported annually. It proposed a disaster classification to mobilise urgent government action and to set clear accountability and measurable targets for road agencies, the National Police Service, healthcare providers and county governments. It described road safety as a national development and security priority.
The crash involved a public service vehicle and a commercial vehicle. Preliminary reports describe a head-on collision, and NTSA has said improper overtaking may have contributed. Reports of the death toll range from 22 to 24, and the figure could rise. Injured passengers are receiving treatment, and NTSA's investigation team is working with police to establish the circumstances.
A Declaration Needs an Assessment First
No declaration has been made. Under the National Disaster Risk Management Act, which took effect in June 2026, a multi-agency assessment and recommendations from Cabinet Secretaries and county leaders come before a formal declaration, and the President has the final say. Kenya's last officially declared national disaster was the September 2021 drought.
President William Ruto has condoled with the families and ordered thorough inspections of public service vehicles. The Motorists Association of Kenya has separately called for trailers to be separated from long-distance buses.
Why Operators and Insurers Will Watch
A declaration could release emergency funding and bring tougher enforcement, including stricter vehicle inspections, which carry cost and timing implications for bus operators, hauliers and insurers. Mwenendo earlier reported on how Kenya's biggest matatu insurer owes more than it owns, a reminder of the financial strain already in passenger transport cover.
As Mwenendo earlier reported, cargo flows on the Northern Corridor are central to Kenya's logistics sector, which depends on the same road for the goods that do not travel by rail.
Mwenendo will update this story when the government responds to NTSA's request or the official toll is confirmed.
In Summary
- Who is asking for the declaration?
- The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), Kenya's road safety regulator.
- What is NTSA asking for?
- That road crashes be declared a national disaster to mobilise urgent action and set accountability targets.
- When did this happen?
- The crash and NTSA's call came on Sunday, 25 October 2026.
- Where was the crash?
- At Kanga, near Mtito Andei, on the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway.
- Why does NTSA want a declaration?
- It says crashes kill more than 5,000 people a year, with about 20,000 incidents annually.
- How would a declaration be made?
- After a multi-agency assessment under the National Disaster Risk Management Act, with the President deciding.