Malawi Police Service has reported a 14 percent increase in road accidents involving motorcycle taxis (kabaza) during the first quarter of 2025.
National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya said the country recorded 200 accidents in the first quarter of 2024 against 227 cases during the same period this year.
But despite the increase, this year’s fatality rate has decreased by six percent with figures showing that in the first quarter of 2024 the country registered 27 deaths as compared to 21 deaths during the same period this year.
Kalaya attributed the rise to lack of knowledge on road safety rules as most of the kabaza operators are not trained riders and do not have licences.
He said: “Our role is to enforce road traffic rules and regulations and we are doing just that.
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“That’s why if you go to any police station in the country, you will find piles of motorcycles that have been impounded. What is needed is for everyone, especially kabaza operators themselves, to take responsibility.”
In a separate interview, Malawi Coalition for Kabaza Stakeholders Association national chairperson Moses Mwalabu attributed the continued trend of breaking road safety rules among kabaza operators to inadequate enforcement.
“It’s concerning that some law enforcers may not be doing their job effectively, potentially due to various factors, including the connection between Kabaza operations and upcoming elections. And kabaza is political in nature and many politicians use kabaza for their political mileage,” he said.
Mwalabu further said ignorance of the Highway Code is significantly contributing to road accidents involving kabaza as many operators lack a thorough understanding of road safety rules, leading to preventable mistakes and accidents.
He said to address the problem, the association embarked on an initiative advocating kabaza operators to undergo training and that currently, 63 operators are undergoing training at driving schools across the country.
Malawi Orthopaedic Association spokesperson
Martin Hara called for mindset change among kabaza operators and citizens to embrace road safety rules and regulations.
So far, kabaza-related accidents are a significant public health crisis with a high number of deaths and injuries. Between 2020 and 2023, over 4 566 accidents resulted in 472 deaths.
Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital chief specialist neurosurgeon professor Patrick Dongosolo Kamalo said the increase in number of patients after being involved in motorcycle accidents puts pressure on the hospital’s resources.
He said the hospital treats over 75 patients monthly with injuries from motorcycle accidents.
“The hospital spends much money on them as it takes several millions of kwacha to treat one patient with serious injuries,” he said.
Findings of a 2023 study commissioned by United Kingdom-funded non-governmental organisation, Traction, showed that 70 percent of the owners of motorcycles taxis in Malawi’s four cities were working class, mostly from Malawi Police Service and Malawi Defence Force, largely explaining authorities’ laxity to enforce safety and adherence to requirements. The study established that only 30 percent of kabaza motorcycles are owned by operators themselves
