Twenty-three pedestrians have been arrested at the Fig Tree Footbridge along Thika Superhighway for allegedly crossing the busy road at undesignated points despite having a footbridge available.
The arrests were made on Tuesday, September 8, during a joint pedestrian enforcement operation by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) targeting people who failed to use designated crossing facilities.
NTSA said the 23 suspects will be taken to court as the authority steps up enforcement of pedestrian safety rules on some of Nairobi’s busiest roads.
The operation is part of a wider crackdown that has been running across the capital since July, with enforcement teams targeting pedestrians who cross highways away from footbridges and marked crossing points.
The campaign has already led to hundreds of arrests in different parts of Nairobi.
By July 31, NTSA said 250 pedestrians had been arrested across the city since the crackdown began on July 20. The authority said those arrested during the enforcement had been presented before court.
The 250 figure remains the latest publicly reported citywide total from NTSA, although further operations have since led to more arrests at various locations. The authority has not released an updated consolidated figure for the entire city.
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Previous operations have targeted pedestrians at several busy roads and interchanges, including Allsops, Buruburu, Nyayo Stadium and Pipeline-Transami.
At Allsops along Thika Road, 22 pedestrians were arrested and arraigned in court on July 21 after allegedly crossing the highway instead of using the footbridge.
Another 45 pedestrians were arrested two days later at the Nyayo Stadium footbridge along Mombasa Road and arraigned for allegedly crossing the highway outside the designated facility.
The crackdown was also taken to Buruburu, where 35 pedestrians were arrested for allegedly avoiding the Mutindwa footbridge.
In early August, more than 50 pedestrians were again arrested at Allsops during another operation targeting people crossing Thika Road at undesignated points.
The enforcement comes as pedestrians remain a major group affected by road crashes in the country.
NTSA data cited during the crackdown showed that 836 pedestrians were among the 2,150 people killed in road crashes between January and June 30, 2026.
Pedestrians accounted for about 38 per cent of all road deaths recorded during the first six months of the year.
NTSA has warned that crossing major highways outside designated areas exposes pedestrians to fast-moving vehicles while also creating danger for motorists and other road users.
“The Authority continues to urge all pedestrians to use designated footbridges and crossing points at all times. Crossing at undesignated areas not only puts pedestrians’ lives at risk, but also endangers other road users and disrupts the free flow of traffic,” NTSA said.
The authority has also linked the crackdown to traffic management, noting that pedestrians who cross highways at unauthorised points can interfere with vehicle movement and raise the risk of collisions.
The operations are being carried out jointly with law enforcement agencies, with those arrested expected to face court proceedings.
At Fig Tree, NTSA has renewed its appeal to pedestrians to use the available footbridge instead of crossing directly onto the highway.
“Let us all play our part in promoting safer roads and responsible road use,” the authority said.
The latest arrests show that the enforcement drive remains active, with NTSA continuing to target pedestrians who ignore designated crossing facilities, particularly along Nairobi’s busiest highways.