NTSA Arrests Over 50 Pedestrians on Thika Road

The National Transport and Safety Authority arrested more than 50 pedestrians on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, in an enforcement operation at the Allsops footbridge along Thika Road in Nairobi, according to Kenyan media reports. NTSA said the pedestrians were crossing at undesignated points instead of using the footbridge, an action the agency said endangered road users and disrupted traffic flow. The suspects were expected to be arraigned at Milimani Law Courts, according to The Star, KBC and The Standard. The arrests are the latest step in a wider NTSA crackdown on pedestrians who ignore designated footbridges on busy Nairobi highways. Earlier operations in late July also targeted Thika Road and other crossings, with pedestrians taken to court after being accused of jaywalking at high-risk points. Capital FM reported two weeks earlier that 22 pedestrians had been arraigned over illegal Thika Road crossings at Allsops. (the-star.co.ke) ### Why were pedestrians arrested at Allsops? The Allsops footbridge on Thika Road was the focus of Wednesday’s operation because pedestrians were allegedly crossing the highway directly instead of using the elevated crossing. NTSA said the enforcement targeted people who failed to use the designated footbridge and obstructed the free flow of traffic. The Standard reported that 50 pedestrians were arrested for failing to use the Allsops footbridge and were to be arraigned before Milimani Law Courts. (capitalfm.africa) The Star and Eastleigh Voice separately reported that more than 50 people were arrested in the ongoing operation, indicating the sweep was part of a sustained campaign rather than a single isolated stop. (the-star.co.ke) ### What has NTSA said about the crackdown? NTSA has framed the operations as a road-safety measure aimed at reducing deaths and injuries among pedestrians. On its road-safety pages, the agency says its management framework combines prevention, enforcement, education and emergency response, and its action plan is aimed at reducing road accidents and fatalities. Nashon Kondiwa, NTSA’s director general, told Capital FM in a separate late-July report that pedestrians accounted for 836 of the 2,150 road deaths recorded in the first half of 2026. (standardmedia.co.ke) Capital FM said that made pedestrians the single largest category of road traffic fatalities in Kenya during that period. ### Is this limited to Thika Road? Nairobi operations in recent days have also reached other crossings beyond Allsops. (ntsa.go.ke) The Star reported on August 3 that NTSA intensified enforcement at the Pipeline Transami footbridge in Nairobi, where pedestrians were arrested for crossing at undesignated points. Capital FM, as cited by MarketScreener, also reported a late-July operation at the General Motors footbridge in Nairobi involving NTSA and the National Police. (capitalfm.africa) The Kenya Times separately listed multiple Nairobi hotspots where pedestrians risk arrest for not using footbridges, including Allsops, Mutindwa and other high-traffic crossings. ### What happens to those arrested? (the-star.co.ke) Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi was identified by multiple outlets as the court where the Allsops suspects were expected to be charged. The Standard said those arrested on Wednesday would be arraigned there, while KBC and Eastleigh Voice said the suspects were expected in court as the crackdown continued. A separate NTSA notice published in June said Kenya had introduced a framework for handling some minor traffic offences through police notifications instead of immediate court appearances, but that notice referred to motorists and did not state that the same process applied to pedestrians in the Allsops case. (marketscreener.com) On the reporting available Wednesday, the pedestrians arrested at Allsops were still expected to appear before a magistrate at Milimani. (standardmedia.co.ke) ### What should commuters expect next on Thika Road? Wednesday’s arrests suggest NTSA will keep deploying officers at major Nairobi footbridges where pedestrians frequently cross highways at grade, though that is an inference from the sequence of recent operations rather than a new formal announcement. Reports from August 3 and August 5 described the campaign as ongoing and expanding across multiple locations. (ntsa.go.ke) Milimani Law Courts is the next named stop in the case, and NTSA’s public road-safety messaging indicates the agency will continue combining enforcement with warnings to use marked crossings and footbridges. For commuters on Thika Road, the immediate next step is practical: use the Allsops footbridge or designated crossings as enforcement continues. (ntsa.go.ke) (the-star.co.ke)