Catholic Bishops in Kenya Call for Responsible Road Use amid Rise in Tragic Accidents

Nairobi, 15 January, 2026 / 4:00 PM

Members of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) have called for responsible road use and strict enforcement of traffic regulations to curb the tragic accidents that continue to claim lives in the East African nation.

In a message of condolence during the funeral Mass for a Catechist of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi (ADN) who perished in a fatal accident on January 5 alongside three members of his family, the KCCB members said strict enforcement, combined with responsible driving, is essential to reducing road accidents and preventing avoidable loss of life.

“We call upon all road users and those who ensure that we travel safely—our traffic officers and all who enforce traffic rules—to be vigilant, to be serious, and to be very strict when it comes to road safety,” the Bishops said in the message that Bishop Peter Kimani Ndung’u of the Catholic Diocese of Embu delivered on their behalf during the event at Ndundu Primary School grounds in the ADN on Wednesday, January 14.

The Catholic Church leaders emphasized that roads should never become places of death but corridors of safe passage where travelers move from one point to another and arrive safely.

“The vehicles that we drive carry human lives. They carry human beings, and we cannot turn our roads into places where lives are lost, like places of mass killing, where you are not sure whether you will reach your destination,” they said.

“Overspeeding, drunk driving, and careless overtaking—all these are causing loss of life,” the KCCB members stated, reminding all road users of their shared responsibility in protecting human life.

They said, “Every one of us has the responsibility to protect each other. The moment I take care of myself on the road, I am also taking care of another person. Please observe traffic rules, and let us care for each other.”

The Kenyan Catholic Bishops called for training and retraining of drivers, especially those operating long-distance routes, to improve road discipline and safety standards.

On January 7 police in the East African nation raised concern over what they described as a surge in fatal road accidents following the loss of 31 lives in the first week of the New Year.

Kenya’s National Police Service (NPS) described the accidents as “unacceptably alarming”, that cannot be allowed to continue. “It is a crisis that demands immediate, collective, and decisive action,” the Inspector General of the NPS, Dauglas Kanja said, and directed that “all Regional, County, and Sub-County Traffic Police Commanders institute stringent, continuous, high-visibility enforcement targeting all manner of traffic violations” in order to curb the trend.

Meanwhile, in his remarks Bishop Kimani, who was the main Celebrant at the funeral Mass for the late Catechist James Njoroge Kabari of the ADN’s Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Ridgeways Parish encouraged the Catechist’s  family to find comfort in God.

Catechist Njoroge’s wife Teresia Wanjiru and their children, Michael Kabari (6 years) and John Mark Kabui (1 year) were also laid to rest.

“Our duty is to run into the hands of God and to seek answers from God. God is the answer to all these things. Our friends, James, Teresia, John Mark, and Michael, have not been lost; they are only hidden away from us, hidden in God,” Bishop Kimani said. 

Bishop Kimani invited the faithful to continue offering their spiritual solidarity with the deceased Catechist’s only surviving daughter, Clare Wanjiru, who escaped the January 5 traffic accident with life-threatening injuries.

“Let us continue praying for Clare as she continues to heal and recover,” Bishop Kimani appealed, and went on to appreciate the Clergy and members of the Parish where the late Catechist was serving until his untimely death for offering to take care of Wanjiru.

He said, “I am happy that she already has a family in the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Ridgeways Catholic Parish. Thank you very much for taking up that responsibility and that task.”

“May God be our protection and our shield in all that we do. We also place Clare in the wings of the Savior, that she may be protected as she grows up,” Bishop Kimani said.