What began as a roadside crowd gathering around a minor boda boda accident scene ended in greater tragedy when a truck lost control and ploughed into the group on the Kitale-Webuye highway on Monday night, killing at least 15 people.
Among the dead were six members of one family and three from another household.
The horror has thrown Malaha village on the outskirts of Webuye town, Bungoma County, into mourning as relatives, neighbours and friends attempt to come to terms with the loss.
Accident scene at Málaha on the Webuye-Kitale road in Bungoma County at 1 am, on March 10, 2026, after a truck ran over people who had responded after two motor bikes collided on Monday. 15 people died while 16 were injured.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
The tragedy occurred around 8pm when the truck driver reportedly lost control and ploughed into the crowd that had gathered at the accident scene involving motorcycles.
Grief hangs heavily at the homestead of Mr Ezekiel Kinusu. The accident led to the death of his mother, three brothers and two other family members.
According to Mr Kinusu, his relatives had joined other curious locals who had gathered at the motorcycle accident scene.
Moments later, a speeding truck from Lugulu ploughed into the crowd.
“We have lost almost our entire family. This pain is impossible to explain. The trailer veered off the road and rammed the crowd, throwing some into the river,” Mr Kinusu told the Daily Nation at Webuye Sub-County Referral Hospital.
The bereaved families now face the difficult task of organising multiple burials while coping with emotional trauma.
Mr John Wasawa Simiyu, who is recuperating at the same hospital, said he lost three relatives in the truck incident.
Mr Simiyu said he had gone to the scene after hearing about the first accident involving two motorbikes, only to end up as a victim in the second tragedy.
“I was among those who arrived at the scene to find out what had happened. That is when the lorry hit us. Later, I learnt that the accident had claimed three members of my family,” Mr Simiyu said, fighting tears.
Webuye Sub-County Police Commander, Rosemary Odeke, said 10 people died on the spot while the others succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment.
“The death toll has risen to 15 after another victim died while being treated. Fifteen other people are admitted to Webuye Sub-County Referral Hospital,” Ms Odeke said.
The bodies were moved to the hospital mortuary, with the families beginning to make funeral arrangements.
According to the police commander, the truck driver fled the scene of the accident and still remains at large.
“The wreckage of the lorry was towed to Webuye weighbridge station. We have launched investigations into the crash,” she said.
Webuye Sub-County Referral Hospital Superintendent, David Wanikina, said the institution received 21 injured victims.
“Unfortunately, one patient died while undergoing surgery,” Dr Wanikina said in an update yesterday afternoon.
Webuye Sub-County Hospital in Bungoma County on March 10, 2026, where accident victims were taken after a truck ran over them at Málaha on the Webuye-Kitale road in Bungoma County.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
He added that the hospital has mobilised a psycho-social support team to help families cope with the aftermath of the tragedy.
Residents described the scene as a black spot and urged motorists and other road users to exercise caution when approaching the place.
“This is a painful reminder of how dangerous our roads can be. Drivers must observe the Highway Code. We don’t want to witness more carnage,” Mr Patrick Simiyu, a local, said.
