Decade of Action in Kenya

HRH Prince Michael of Kent was the guest of honour at the launch ceremony of the Decade of Action held in Nairobi, Kenya at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre. The Kenyan Government was represented by Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and the Transport Minister Amos Kimunya. Organised by the National Road Safety Council and the AA of Kenya, the launch event was attended by Dr Abdoulie Jack of the World Health Organisation and David Ward from the FIA Foundation.

Kenya loses 3,000 people a year in road crashes and nearly ten times that number are injured. Vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists account for over 50% of the country’s fatalities. Another major problem is the safety of public transport buses or matatus which are frequently involved in crashes causing multiple losses of lives and injuries.

Speaking at the launch the Minister of Transport, Amos Kimunya, outlined new measures to phase out unsafe buses and improve the vehicle licensing system in order to make “our matatus to be the safest in the world”. Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka highlighted the important role played by the National Road Safety Council and proposed that it be transformed into an autonomous authority. On behalf of the Kenyan Government he strongly welcomed the UN Decade of Action and pointed out that “reducing fatalities could lower suffering, unlock growth and free resources for more productive growth”.



Representing the Commission for Global Road Safety as its Patron, HRH Prince Michael of Kent welcomed the momentum provided by the UN Decade of Action bringing much needed commitment and resources to this important but neglected issue. “We have made a promising start”, Prince Michael explained. “The Decade of Action was endorsed by one hundred governments at the UN General Assembly.  It has a clear and compelling goal: which is to stabilise and reduce global road deaths by 2020. If we achieve that, we would prevent up to 5 million deaths and 50 million serious injuries over the next ten years. Of course, they cause much heartache and unhappiness. But these casualties also come with a high economic cost, estimated to be in the trillions of dollars over the course of a decade.  So there could hardly be a stronger financial imperative to solving this global crisis”.

Describing the impact of road crashes in Kenya as “severe” the Prince warned, “You are losing a vast number of people on the roads, many of them young wage earners, responsible for their families.  Many of these deaths and injuries are preventable, when roads are better designed; when speed is managed; when seat belts and crash helmets are worn; when drink driving laws are actively enforced; when the rights and needs of pedestrians are recognised; when safe and efficient public transport is provided. I hope today will mark the beginning of a new phase in tackling road traffic injuries, not only here in Kenya, but across the continent of Africa and indeed across the world”.