NAIROBI, KENYA – The death of a young TikTok creator, Cecelia Achieng, who was fatally struck by a vehicle on the Thika Superhighway on the evening of Sunday, November 2, 2025, has underscored the extreme dangers pedestrians face on Kenya's major roads. The incident, which occurred in the Ruiru area of Kiambu County, happened just three months after Ms. Achieng had graduated from Mount Kenya University, cutting short a promising future that she and her family had eagerly anticipated.

Details surrounding the specific vehicle involved and the driver remain unconfirmed pending an official statement from the National Police Service or Kiambu County Police. Calls for a thorough investigation are mounting from the public. According to multiple media reports, Ms. Achieng, known to her followers as 'Cess', was heading home to Juja after a night out with friends. Unverified accounts suggest she alighted from a taxi before attempting to cross the multi-lane highway when she was hit.

Ms. Achieng’s death has been widely mourned on social media, where friends, family, and followers have paid tribute to the vibrant young woman. Her final TikTok post, dated October 17, 2025, has become a focal point of remembrance. In the video, she wrote, "The little girl in me when I remember what God has done for me, and I am His favourite daughter." The post is now flooded with messages of condolence.

Mount Kenya University confirmed that Ms. Achieng was among the thousands of students who graduated during its 27th commencement ceremony on Friday, August 8, 2025. Her death so soon after achieving this major educational milestone has amplified the sense of tragedy among those who knew her and many Kenyans following the story.

A National Crisis on Our Roads

Cecelia Achieng's death is not an isolated incident but a tragic data point in a larger national crisis. The Thika Superhighway has been repeatedly identified by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) as one of the deadliest roads for pedestrians in the country. An NTSA report covering January 1 to April 30, 2024, revealed that the Thika Superhighway recorded 13 fatalities, the highest in Nairobi during that period.

This tragic trend is reflective of the broader road safety situation in Kenya. According to the most recent NTSA statistics for the 2024/2025 financial year (up to March 2025), pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users, accounting for 1,342 of the 3,581 total road fatalities nationwide. This means pedestrians make up over 37% of all road deaths, a figure that safety experts and public health officials find alarming.

The government has acknowledged the severity of the problem, launching the "National Road Safety Action Plan 2024-2028" with the ambitious goal of halving road deaths by 2028. The plan targets notorious black spots, including sections of the Thika Superhighway, with measures such as enhanced enforcement, infrastructure redesign, and public awareness campaigns. However, critics argue that implementation has been slow and that infrastructural designs, such as the number and placement of footbridges, remain inadequate for the high volume of pedestrian traffic.

Calls for Urgent Intervention

Road safety advocates argue that Ms. Achieng's death must serve as a catalyst for immediate action. They are calling for increased investment in pedestrian-safe infrastructure, including well-lit and accessible footbridges and underpasses, and stricter enforcement of speed limits, especially at night when most fatal accidents occur. A 2025 study highlighted that pedestrians make up as high as 65% of road traffic fatalities in Kenya, a rate significantly above the global average.

As the Achieng family prepares for her burial, a nation is once again confronted with the human cost of its dangerous roads. Her story, amplified by her social media presence, has personalized the statistics, forcing a renewed conversation about the collective responsibility to prevent such needless loss of life. Without official details from the police, however, full accountability for the incident that claimed her life remains elusive. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REQUIRED.