A Promising Future Cut Short

A rising Kenyan TikTok personality, Cecilia Achieng, was killed in a road traffic accident on the evening of Sunday, November 2, 2025. The incident occurred as she was attempting to cross the Thika Superhighway in Ruiru, Kiambu County. Known to her followers as 'Cess', Ms. Achieng had amassed a significant online following with her lifestyle and entertainment videos. Her final post was on October 17, 2025.

The tragedy occurred just three months after her graduation from Mount Kenya University (MKU). University records confirm that MKU held its 27th graduation ceremony on Friday, August 8, 2025, where Ms. Achieng was awarded her degree. Family and friends have shared emotional tributes online, remembering her as a vibrant and ambitious young woman. Specific details regarding the vehicle involved and the exact time of the accident have not yet been released by the National Police Service. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REQUIRED.

A Notorious Blackspot

The Thika Superhighway, a critical artery for the capital, has a long and grim history of pedestrian fatalities. Data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has repeatedly identified it as one of the most dangerous roads in Nairobi. A 2024 NTSA report covering the period from January 1 to April 30, 2024, revealed that the Thika Superhighway accounted for 13 fatalities, the highest in Nairobi during that time. Another report from October 2022 also flagged the highway for having 44 fatal crashes between January and August of that year.

Pedestrians consistently represent the largest group of victims in Kenyan road accidents. According to NTSA statistics for the 2024/25 financial year (up to March 2025), pedestrians accounted for 1,342 of the 3,581 total road fatalities nationwide. More recent data covering January 1 to September 28, 2025, shows that 1,340 pedestrians had lost their lives, continuing the worrying trend. Experts and authorities often attribute these incidents to a combination of factors, including insufficient safe crossing points like footbridges and underpasses, speeding, and pedestrians underestimating the speed of oncoming traffic.

The National Context

Ms. Achieng's death is a tragic reflection of a broader national crisis. Road traffic injuries are a major public health concern in Kenya. A 2025 study published in the American Journal of Public Health Research highlighted that pedestrians constitute 65% of road traffic fatalities in the country. The overall rate of road traffic injuries in Kenya was reported at 27.8 per 100,000 people in 2023, a figure 1.5 times the global rate.

Successive reports from the NTSA underscore the vulnerability of pedestrians, motorcyclists, and passengers, who collectively account for the vast majority of deaths. Despite numerous safety campaigns and the construction of infrastructure like footbridges, the number of preventable deaths remains alarmingly high. The incident in Ruiru serves as a stark reminder of the human cost behind the statistics and the urgent need for enhanced safety measures and public awareness to protect vulnerable road users on Kenya's busiest highways.