Grief engulfed Londiani Sub-County Hospital mortuary on Saturday as families and relatives arrived to identify the bodies of their loved ones who perished in the Friday night road crash that claimed seven lives and left five others injured.
The victims were among passengers travelling from Nakuru to Eldoret when the shuttle ferrying them was involved in the fatal crash at Kamara in Mau Summit along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway.
According to Kuresoi North Sub-County Police Commander John Kimutai, the 8:30pm crash occurred when a truck heading towards Nakuru lost control, swerved off the road and collided with the matatu, which was ferrying passengers from Nakuru to Eldoret. There were 11 passengers on board the matatu.
The trailer that was involved in an accident that killed seven people in Kamara, Mau Summit along Nakuru-Eldoret highway on July 03, 2026.
Photo credit: Mercy Koskei | Nation Media Group
Five people, including the matatu driver, died on the spot, while two others succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment at the hospital.
"The accident involved a Toyota Hiace belonging to Eldoret Crossroads. It had 11 passengers. The fatalities are all male adults. Three persons suffered serious injuries and were rushed to Londiani Sub-County Hospital. The truck driver sustained minor injuries," Mr Kimutai said.
As relatives gathered to identify the bodies, many recalled the last conversations they had with their loved ones before the tragedy claimed their lives.
Stephen Odanga, a resident of Nakuru, said his younger sister, Susan Odanga Apiyo, an Early Childhood Development (ECD) teacher at Lions Academy, was travelling to Eldoret to visit relatives when she perished in the crash.
Mr Odanga said he last spoke to his sister on Friday around 6pm after she called seeking help with a faulty Kenya Power electricity meter at her home.
Mr Odanga said he offered to go to his sister's house and help, but she told him she was already travelling to Eldoret and would inform him once she returned to Nakuru.
Stephen Odanga, whose sister Susan Odanga Apiyo perished in the road crash, speaks to the media at Londiani Sub-County Hospital on July 4, 2026.
Photo credit: Mercy Koskei | Nation Media Group
Around 8pm, Mr Odanga called to check whether she had arrived safely, but her phone went unanswered before it was switched off. Assuming the battery had died, Mr Odanga did not suspect anything was wrong. Later that night, he attended a church kesha and returned home at 4am.
"My other sister called me in the morning and informed about the accident and that our youngest sister had not arrived. I went to the Crossroads offices in Nakuru to check the passenger records. They confirmed she had been on the vehicle and referred me to Mau Summit Police Station before I was directed to the hospital. After moving from one office to another, I was finally informed that my sister was no more. I have identified her body," Mr Odanga said.
He said the family is now making arrangements for a post-mortem examination before transferring his sister's body to Nakuru in preparation for burial.
Another grieving family identified the body of Betty Rotich, 40, who had been returning to Eldoret from Naivasha after attending a retreat for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Mr Caleb Rotich, a resident of Kaptagat in Uasin Gishu County, said Betty had remained in constant communication with his sister throughout Friday before her phone went unanswered at night.
Caleb Rotich, whose sister Betty Rotich perished in the road crash, speaks to the media at Londiani Sub-County Hospital on July 4, 2026.
Photo credit: Mercy Koskei | Nation Media Group
"They spoke until 8pm, after which her phone went unanswered. The following morning, we called again and someone else answered, informing us that she had been involved in an accident and that we should rush to Londiani Sub-County Hospital. We were not expecting to find her dead. It is heartbreaking," he said.
Mr Rotich said he had not known Betty had travelled to Naivasha until his sister informed him after she became unreachable by phone.
“We have identified her body. She sustained injuries to the head and leg. As a family, we want the body transferred to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital so that it is more accessible to relatives,” Mr Rotich said.
He appealed to the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to redesign the notorious stretch of the Nakuru-Eldoret highway, noting that it has become a black spot that has claimed many lives.
“This road has claimed many lives. About three years ago, several people died here after a bus was involved in an accident. We urge KeNHA to redesign this section to prevent further tragedies,” he said.
Londiani Sub-County Medical Superintendent Dr Collins Kipkoech said the hospital received five patients, who were stabilised before being transferred to other facilities for specialised treatment.
According to Dr Kipkoech, three were referred to Coptic Hospital in Salgaa, Rongai Sub-County, while one was transferred to Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital.
“We lost seven people in the road traffic accident. Four bodies have been identified and post-mortems conducted since they are being transferred. We were able to ascertain that most sustained severe head injuries and chest trauma caused by the high-impact collision. Families are still streaming in for identification,” he said.
