EAC advances regional measures to improve road sefety and curb fatalities

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania,12^th March, 2026: Efforts to make East African roads safer for millions of commuters, traders, and pedestrians advanced this week as regional experts called for accelerated implementation of the EAC Road Safety Action Plan (2020-2030). The move aims to reduce road crashes that continue to claim thousands of lives annually across the region, particularly among young people and vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.

Meeting in Moshi, Tanzania, road safety experts from EAC Partner States adopted recommendations to strengthen crash data management, improve enforcement of road safety laws, and enhance regional cooperation. The recommendations will be submitted to the Sectoral Council on Transport, Communications and Meteorology (TCM) to guide practical measures that improve road safety across major regional transport corridors.

The three-day workshop, held from 9-11 March, 2026 brought together experts from EAC Partner States, development partners including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), corridor management institutions, and technical consultants to review progress and identify priority actions for implementing the regional road safety agenda.

In his opening remarks, Eng. Godfrey Enzama, Head of the Transport Division at the EAC Secretariat, noted that road safety remains a major challenge across Africa. The continent accounts for about 13% of global road traffic deaths despite having only 2% of the world's vehicles, with road traffic injuries remaining the leading cause of death among people aged 5-29 years.

Chaired by Mr. Katushabe Winstone, Commissioner for Transport Regulation and Safety and Chief Licensing Officer at Uganda's Ministry of Works and Transport, the meeting reviewed implementation of directives from previous EAC policy organs, including the 4th Retreat of EAC Heads of State on Infrastructure Development, which highlighted the need for urgent action to address road safety challenges in the Community.

Among the key recommendations was a call for the EAC Secretariat to mobilize resources for the development of harmonized guidelines on traffic crash data management in collaboration with the Northern Corridor Transit Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) and the Central Corridor Transport and Transit Facilitation Agency (CCTTFA).

Development partners also shared ongoing initiatives to strengthen road safety. The Japan International Cooperation Agency highlighted its Pilot Project for Road Safety Strengthening in Tanzania (April 2025-February 2028), which supports improved road crash data systems, enhanced emergency response services, and road safety education in schools.

Experts further emphasized the role of technology, including geocoded crash data and emerging tools such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, to better identify high-risk road sections and target interventions more effectively.

Participants expressed appreciation to the Japan International Cooperation Agency for its continued support to the EAC Road Safety Programme and stressed the importance of harmonizing regional approaches to road safety enforcement, crash data collection, and the establishment of roadside service stations along major corridors to address driver fatigue.

For more information, please contact:

Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
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Website: www.eac.int

About the East African Community

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of Burundi, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. The EAC aims to expand and deepen economic, political, social, and cultural integration to improve the quality of life of the people of East Africa through increased competitiveness, value-added production, trade, and investment.