The Mombasa City County Government, in partnership with the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), has released the 2023 Mombasa Road Safety Report.

The report, which sourced data from police crash reports, provides insights into the scope and trends of traffic crashes, injuries and deaths in Mombasa County.

Findings from the report shows that the reported number of road traffic deaths increased by 36% in 2023, from 69 in 2022 to 94, while serious injuries rose by 17%, from 161 in 2022 to 188.

Vulnerable road users’ pedestrians, motorcyclists, and cyclists—made up 92% of the reported deaths in 2023, with pedestrians alone accounting for 56% of these deaths.

The findings also showed that deaths were frequently reported from crashes which occurred from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. to midnight.

At the report launch event, Rebecca Bavinger of Bloomberg Philanthropies pointed out that it was great to see the work and progress in Mombasa to save lives from road crashes, however, more needs to be done to see a reduction in deaths and injuries.

 "We commend the county's proactive approach to road safety, notably through the establishment of the County Transport and Safety Committee. BP stands ready to offer further technical assistance, while BIGRS will continue to support the Mombasa County government in enhancing road safety for all users”.

 On his part Mombasa Governor Abdullswamad Sheriff Nassir reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to addressing road safety challenges.

 "As a county, we are deeply committed to safeguarding the lives of all road users by prioritizing data-driven policies and interventions. We are grateful to the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety and all our partners for their unwavering support in addressing this critical public health issue." Said Nassir

The Governor further stated that the initiative had provided crucial support to the County Government of Mombasa, particularly to the Department of Transport and Infrastructure.

 He highlighted that, through the partnership, they had been able to focus on critical areas such as communication, advocacy, and policy development, as well as road crash data collection and surveillance.

As part of BIGRS, the Kenya Police Coast Region and the Mombasa Inspectorate have received capacity training with the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) and equally y received radar speed gun devices, which has continued to strengthen enforcement efforts and collaboration to improve road safety in Mombasa.

The report identified the top five high-risk points in Mombasa County, these are: Hass Filling Station along Mombasa Road, Postal Corporation along Likoni-Ukunda Road, Loreto Convent Primary School along Nyerere Avenue, Palm City along Malindi Road, and AIPCA, Makande Cathedral along Mombasa Road.

These locations have been flagged as critical areas requiring targeted safety interventions. Similarly, the top five high-risk corridors include Mombasa–Nairobi Road, Mombasa–Malindi Road, Port Reitz–Airport Road, Likoni–Ukunda Road, and Makupa Causeway.

These corridors have consistently recorded high numbers of crashes and fatalities, underscoring the need for comprehensive road safety measures along these routes.

 Mombasa Transport Executive Daniel Manyala, emphasized the government's role in enhancing road safety measures.

He stated that the devastating impact of road traffic crashes on communities could not be ignored and stressed the need for strengthened efforts to address the issue.

"This report underscores the critical need for strengthened enforcement, public awareness campaigns, and targeted engineering interventions to address the most dangerous corridors and intersections. Together, we can reverse these alarming trends." Said Manyala.

Dr. Raphael Awuah, Vital Strategies Regional Technical Advisor for Africa on Road Injury Surveillance, presented key findings at the launch event.

He noted “Understanding who is dying on roads, and where and why crashes are happening is key to developing interventions to save lives. The increase in deaths and injuries reflected in this new report indicates that urgent action is needed to prevent these devastating crashes. With this data, leaders can continue to shape actions that will make Mombasa’s roads safer—especially for groups like pedestrians, who make up more than half of those killed on Mombasa’s streets in 2023.”

 The findings in the report will go a long way in informing police enforcement, behavior change communication, and engineering interventions aimed at reducing road traffic deaths and injuries in Mombasa.