KENHA LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE CRACKDOWN ON FOOTBRIDGE AND UNDERPASS ENCROACHMENT

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has launched a nationwide operation to remove hawkers and street families from footbridges and underpasses in an effort to improve pedestrian safety.

In a statement issued on Saturday, September 20, 2025,  the authority said the move was driven by growing safety concerns, noting that many footbridges along major highways had become difficult to use due to encroachment. This situation, it added, often forces pedestrians to cross roads at undesignated points, increasing the risk of accidents.

“Footbridges are intended to provide safe, efficient, and convenient passage for pedestrians without obstruction,” KeNHA said. “Unfortunately, most of them are no longer usable because of encroachment by hawkers and street families. This leaves pedestrians with no option but to cross at unsafe points, which has frequently led to fatal accidents.”

The clean-up exercise began along the Ruiru–Thika section of the Thika Superhighway and will gradually be expanded to other parts of the country. Beyond clearing encroachers, KeNHA said the operation also includes cleaning and restoring the affected footbridges and underpasses.

The authority noted that the initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO), County Governments, the National Police Service, the Axle Load Enforcement Unit (ALEHU), and the KeNHA Corridor C team.

Reaffirming its commitment to road safety, KeNHA stated: “The Authority remains dedicated to protecting road reserves and ensuring the safety of all road users.” The agency has previously linked the misuse and underutilization of footbridges to numerous accidents and hospital admissions across the country. Citing data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), KeNHA observed that pedestrian-related incidents remain persistently high.

According to the latest NTSA report, 3,397 people have lost their lives in road accidents this year, with pedestrians accounting for 1,285 of those fatalities.