The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), in collaboration with the National Police Service (NPS), has stepped up enforcement against pedestrians who fail to use designated footbridges and other approved crossing points on major roads, saying the exercise is aimed at reducing the country’s high number of pedestrian fatalities.

The operation has been witnessed on several busy highways, including sections of Thika Road, Mombasa Road and other urban corridors, where officers have arrested pedestrians found crossing at undesignated points despite the availability of footbridges or zebra crossings.

NTSA says the enforcement is grounded in Kenya’s traffic laws, which require pedestrians to use designated crossing facilities where they are provided. The authority maintains that the measure is intended to improve compliance with road safety regulations and reduce preventable deaths involving pedestrians.

“Road safety is a shared responsibility. Every road user has a duty to obey traffic rules and use the available infrastructure to protect lives,” NTSA has consistently stated in its public road safety campaigns.

The renewed enforcement has also sparked widespread discussion online, particularly over claims that anyone found crossing outside a designated point is automatically fined KSh5,000.

However, available legal provisions do not prescribe a fixed KSh5,000 penalty solely for failing to use a footbridge. Under the Traffic Act (Cap. 403), pedestrians who breach traffic regulations may be arrested and charged, but the applicable penalty is determined through the court process and depends on the specific offence. In some instances, the amount cited may relate to bond terms or penalties imposed after prosecution rather than an automatic on-the-spot fine.

The National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) has also published Traffic Offences Bond and Bail Guidelines to promote consistency in the handling of traffic offences, but these guidelines do not create new offences or replace penalties provided for under the law.

The enforcement comes against the backdrop of persistent concerns over pedestrian safety in Kenya. NTSA’s annual road safety statistics have consistently shown that pedestrians account for a significant proportion of people killed in road crashes each year, making them one of the country’s most vulnerable categories of road users.

According to the Kenya Highway Code, pedestrians are expected to use footbridges, underpasses, zebra crossings and other designated crossing points where available. The code also requires motorists to exercise caution near pedestrian crossings and give way where the law requires.

Road safety experts have long argued that enforcement should be accompanied by improved pedestrian infrastructure, including accessible, well-maintained and secure footbridges, as well as continued public education on safe road use.

While the ongoing crackdown has received support from those who view it as necessary to improve compliance with traffic rules, others have questioned the emphasis on enforcement alone, calling for greater investment in road design and safer crossing facilities.

For now, NTSA maintains that compliance with designated pedestrian crossings remains a legal requirement and an important measure in reducing road crashes and saving lives.