The rapid rise of motorcycle taxis locally known as kabaza has created livelihoods for thousands but also a mounting public-health and fiscal crisis.

Between 2022 and 2025, road-traffic authorities link 979 deaths and more than 2 000 serious injuries to motorcycle crashes, while each bone fracture treated at specialist hospitals is estimated to cost about K5 million, placing enormous strain on families and the health system.

Innocent Phiri’s fractured leg. I Andrew viano

A visit to the surgical ward at the Lilongwe Institute of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery (Lion) reveals the scale of the problem as a ward built for roughly 60 patients now holds about 146, many with blood-stained bandages and multiple fractures.

The air is heavy with pain and the low moans of those awaiting or recovering from surgery.

One patient, Innocent Phiri of Chilinde Township, described being struck by a car on Christmas Eve while riding a motorcycle taxi. He suffered multiple fractures to both legs and has since undergone surgery.

“A Mira vehicle was trying to overtake a minibus when they hit me,” he said, adding that he learned to ride informally and did not hold a licence.

Another victim, Jenifer Salimoni, a rare female kabaza rider from Kasiya, sustained jaw and leg injuries after swerving to avoid goats on December 21 2025. She, too, had no formal riding training.

Lion’s medical director, Boston Munthali, said the hospital treats more than 2 000 motorcycle-accident patients annually and performs roughly 300 operations a month.

He warned that the financial burden is unsustainable: “Each bone fracture is estimated to cost an average of K5 million. At the rate we are treating patients, the burden is too much.”

 “It is expensive to treat a patient with fractured bones. Each bone fracture is estimated to cost an average of K5 million. So at the rate at which we are treating patients here, the burden is too much.

“In 2023 for example, we treated 1 330 patients, in 2024 we treated 2 085 patients involved in motorcycle taxis accidents and by June of 2025, we had registered over 1 000 accidents. We have tried several avenues to help in sensitising the concerned stakeholders with an aim of reducing these accidents but we see that it all goes down to lack of political will.”

Munthali added that from statistics, all riders admitted at the facility confessed that they did not have driver’s licence and neither did they register their motorcycles nor insure them.

He said the data shows huge gaps that exist in regulating the booming business of kabaza which is becoming a killer on the roads.

On national level, despite statistics from the Malawi Police Service (MPS) showing that overall road accidents declined by 11 percent in 2025 with 3 527 accidents recorded compared to 3 947 in 2024, accidents caused by motorcycle taxis, commonly known as kabaza rose by 11 percent.

National Police spokesperson Lael Chimtembo said in an interview that in 2025, a total of 814 road accidents involving kabaza were recorded, claiming 162 lives and causing 652 injuries.

Chimtembo said the figure is higher than the 727 accidents recorded in 2024, which claimed 146 lives and left 581 people injured.

Statistics from the Road Traffic and Safety Services Directorate show that between 2022 and 2025, 979 people died while over 2 000 were seriously injured in motorcycle related crashes

Madalitso Kuyera, director at the Road Traffic and Safety Services Directorate, described the figures as “alarming” and blamed low compliance and external interference that hampers enforcement.

He noted that authorities have reduced licence to as low as K40 000 and registration to about K52 000, but uptake remains limited.

“We are working with their association in reducing the motorcycle accidents in the country.

The challenge, however, is that they are not compliance is low,” he said.

Inspector General of Police Richard Luhanga acknowledged that while kabazas provide affordable mobility, they have become a major contributor to road deaths and called for coordinated action with road-traffic authorities and legislators to tighten the legal framework.

Road Safety Alert Foundation executive director Joel Jere said the problem is solvable: “Most riders are not trained and in turn cause avoidable road accidents. Solution is within. Let’s tighten and enforce the laws.”

Malawi Coalition of Kabaza Associations (Macokasa) chairperson Moses Mwalabu admitted that kabaza sector is operating with minimal regulation and control. He, however, said the members are ready to cooperate in finding solutions.

Minister of Transport and Public Works Jappie Mhango admitted that kabaza motorcyclists have become uncontrollable, needing urgent attention.