Mombasa recorded 15 fewer road deaths in 2025 than in the previous year, an encouraging improvement that leaves the county with a clear challenge: sustaining the decline while protecting pedestrians, motorcycle users and tuk-tuk passengers.
Figures from the Mombasa Road Safety Report 2025, published by The Star, show fatalities fell from 99 in 2024 to 84 in 2025. Serious injuries also declined, from 216 to 183—approximately 15% in both categories.
The improvement deserves recognition. But looking beyond the annual percentage reveals why safer streets will require sustained attention.
What the five-year figures show
The longer record puts the latest decline into perspective.
| Year | Reported road deaths | Serious injuries |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 67 | 201 |
| 2022 | 69 | 161 |
| 2023 | 94 | 188 |
| 2024 | 99 | 216 |
| 2025 | 84 | 183 |
Source: The Star’s published figures from the Mombasa Road Safety Report 2025.
Deaths rose for three consecutive years before falling in 2025. The latest figure remains above the totals recorded in 2021 and 2022, although serious injuries are below the 2021 level.
That makes 2025 an encouraging reversal. Further annual reductions would provide stronger evidence that the county is achieving a lasting improvement.
Pedestrians and riders carry most of the burden
Two- and three-wheeler users accounted for 44% of reported fatalities in 2025, while pedestrians represented 37%. Together, these groups accounted for about four in every five deaths.
Cyclists represented another 6%, with other vehicle occupants accounting for 13%, according to the published breakdown.
These proportions show where the human cost is concentrated. They do not, by themselves, establish how dangerous each form of transport is per journey: that would require information on how many people walk, cycle or ride, and how far they travel.
For planning purposes, however, the implication is clear. Protecting people outside enclosed vehicles should be central to Mombasa’s road safety priorities.
Which roads need attention?
Published coverage of the report identifies five leading corridors for fatal crashes: Mombasa–Nairobi Road, Mombasa–Malindi Road, Makupa Causeway, Likoni–Ukunda Road and Port Reitz–Airport Road.
These names refer to corridors examined within Mombasa’s report. They should not be interpreted as a national ranking of entire highways.
The next useful step is greater precision: identifying the junctions, crossings and road sections where fatalities cluster. That would help authorities assess where measures such as safer crossings, speed management and improved visibility should be prioritised.
What the government has already done
There is a documented effort to address speeding.
Mombasa County, the National Transport and Safety Authority and the National Police Service launched the “Slow Down, Speeding Ruins Lives” campaign in December 2024. It ran until January 20, 2025, alongside enforcement and police outreach.
A subsequent evaluation interviewed 600 drivers in Mombasa. Approximately 48% recalled the campaign, with recall higher among four-wheel vehicle drivers than two-wheel vehicle drivers: 56% against 39%.
That difference matters for future communication. Motorcycle users are a key audience, and reaching them effectively requires messages and channels suited to their working lives.
The evaluation provides evidence that the campaign reached drivers. It does not establish how much it contributed to the annual decline in deaths.
What would make the progress last?
Mombasa now has an opportunity to turn an encouraging annual result into measurable, sustained progress.
For residents, the most useful follow-up would be a public account of which dangerous locations will receive attention, what work is planned and when it will be completed.
Tracking deaths and serious injuries at those locations would then help show whether the measures are working.
The 2025 figures provide grounds for encouragement. The next test is whether Mombasa can keep fatalities falling—and make everyday journeys safer for the people who currently bear most of the burden.
