NTSA Backs Driver Eye Checks as Kenya Tackles Road Safety Concerns

A driver who cannot clearly see a pedestrian, a motorcycle or a vehicle braking ahead has less time to react. That risk is putting eyesight under the spotlight as Kenya steps up efforts to improve road safety.

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) took part in eye-screening activities for drivers and other road users during World Sight Day events on Thursday and Friday, October 8 and 9, 2026.

The activities, organised with health agencies and other partners in different parts of the country, focused on identifying vision problems that could affect people behind the wheel.

The initiative comes as Kenya continues to grapple with road deaths and injuries. But eye checks are only one part of the challenge. Driver behaviour, vehicle condition, road design, enforcement and working conditions also influence safety.

Why eyesight matters on the road

Drivers depend on their vision to read road signs, judge distances, notice hazards and respond to sudden changes in traffic. Poor eyesight can make these tasks harder, particularly at night or in difficult weather.

During a screening exercise at a Nairobi bus station on Thursday, Ronald Kefa of Peek Vision warned that long working hours and limited access to regular eye checks could leave some public service vehicle (PSV) drivers with undetected vision problems.

One driver who discovered a problem during the exercise was James Maina, a City Hoppa driver who said he typically works from 5am until 10pm.

“I normally work from 5am to 10pm on a daily basis. Today I came for check-up and I was diagnosed with long-sighted vision,” Maina said. He added that he had been referred to a clinic in Upper Hill for further assessment.

His experience illustrates why screening can matter: a driver may not realise that their vision needs attention until they are examined.

The exercise was organised by the Kenya Association of Opticians and the Optometrists Association of Kenya, alongside the Ministry of Health, Nairobi County and other partners.

Source: The Star’s report on eye health and PSV drivers.

Screening is not the same as a national testing programme

Although NTSA participated in the eye-health activities, the available reports do not establish that the authority has introduced a new, compulsory nationwide eye-screening programme for every driver.

That distinction matters for motorists who may be wondering whether they must undergo a new test immediately. Drivers should follow official NTSA guidance on any formal requirements rather than assume that participation in a public screening event amounts to a new licensing rule.

The World Sight Day activities included screenings in several locations. In Kakamega, the county government reported an exercise involving public transport operators, with NTSA and the National Police Service among the participating partners. In Eldoret, the county government and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital also reported screening services for PSV operators.

The wider message was that early checks can help identify eyesight problems and connect people to further assessment or treatment.

Sources: Kakamega County Government and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.

Road deaths remain a wider concern

The screening push comes amid continuing concern over road crashes in Kenya. A report published by The Eastleigh Voice, citing NTSA figures, said 3,995 people had died in road crashes between January 1 and October 4, 2026—roughly 14 deaths a day.

That figure is substantially lower than the 9,002 deaths claimed in some accounts of the screening announcement. The higher figure could not be verified from the sources reviewed and should not be published as a confirmed road-death total without clarification from NTSA.

Even the verified figure points to a serious public safety problem. Eye checks can help identify one potential risk, but they cannot prevent crashes on their own.

NTSA also targets PSV drivers and managers

Separately, NTSA began a nationwide training programme on September 21 aimed at more than 4,000 PSV drivers, operators, Sacco managers and supervisors.

The four-day sessions began in Taita Taveta, Mombasa and Garissa, with plans to expand to other counties. The programme covers defensive driving, hazard awareness, vehicle checks, passenger care and compliance with traffic rules.

It also recognises that transport operators and managers influence safety. Pressure to pick up more passengers, meet daily targets or keep vehicles running can affect decisions made on the road.

The authority has said the training is intended to promote safer and more professionally managed public transport businesses. However, it is a separate initiative from the eye-screening activities held around World Sight Day.

Source: Citizen Digital’s report on NTSA’s PSV training programme.

What drivers should do

Motorists who have trouble reading signs, seeing clearly at night or judging distances should arrange an eye examination with a qualified eye-care professional. A screening can flag possible problems, but it does not replace a full examination where one is needed.

Drivers should also take care not to treat clear eyesight as a guarantee of safe driving. Speeding, fatigue, distraction, unsafe overtaking and poorly maintained vehicles can still cause fatal crashes.

For NTSA and its partners, the challenge is to turn awareness events into lasting improvements: accessible eye care, clear guidance for drivers, effective enforcement and safer conditions across the transport sector.

The bottom line: Eye checks may help identify a risk that drivers do not know they have. Reducing Kenya’s road deaths, however, will require sustained action on eyesight and the many other factors that make roads dangerous.

About the Author

Maureen Onyango is a journalist passionate about storytelling, life coaching and spiritual lessons. She studied at the Kenya Institute of Management and enjoys telling stories that inform, inspire and empower communities.