What began as a joyful Christmas and New Year reunion for a young family has ended in unimaginable heartbreak after a man, his wife and two sons died in last Sunday’s accident at Karai in Naivasha, Nakuru County.
After spending the festive season surrounded by relatives in Gatundu, Kiambu County, James Njoroge, his wife Teresia Wanjiru, a teacher at Murindat Primary School in Gilgil, and their two sons, Mark Kabui, 1, and Michael Kabari, 6, never made it back home.
Their 10-year-old daughter, Clare Wairimu, survived the crash and by Wednesday evening was fighting for her life at a Naivasha hospital before being transferred to Nairobi for specialised treatment. Ten people were killed in the crash.
Karai–Naivasha accident: Survivors say driver drove recklessly from the start
The loss of the four has plunged Ndundu village in Gatundu into deep mourning, leaving their extended family shattered and struggling to come to terms with the sudden deaths.
The couple, who owned homes in Kiambu and Gilgil, had travelled to Gatundu for the December holidays to spend time with extended family.
According to relatives, the holiday was filled with laughter, shared meals and plans for the year ahead. Tragically, the return journey turned fatal.
James Njoroge, his wife Teresia Wanjiru, and their two sons, Mark Kabui, and Michael Kabari died in a road crash involving a PSV matatu and Green Line bus at Karai in Naivasha on January 4, 2026.
Photo credit: Pool
On Sunday, Mr Njoroge, his wife and their three children boarded a matatu from Gatundu, headed to Gilgil, where Ms Wanjiru lived with the children.
The matatu was involved in a collision with a Green Line bus at Karai in Naivasha, killing 10 passengers on board.
Mr Njoroge’s younger brother, Harun Thuku, said the tragedy has taken a heavy toll on the family.
“Losing four family members at once is not easy. It is a very painful ordeal,” Mr Thuku told the Nation.
He said that his brother had travelled to Gatundu for the festivities and was returning to Gilgil at the time of the accident.
Mr Thuku recalled being informed of the accident by a police officer who asked him to report to Naivasha Sub-County Hospital.
“I rushed to Naivasha, only to learn that my brother, his wife and two children had perished in the accident. I positively identified the bodies. It is so painful,” he said. He added that while Mr Njoroge lived in a family house in Kirigiti, Kiambu, his wife stayed with the children at their Gilgil home. The couple also owned another home in Gatundu.
The wreckage of the 11-seater matatu belonging to Nanyuki Cab Shuttle that collided head-on with a Greenline bus at Karai in Naivasha along Nakuru-Nairobi highway on January 04, 2026.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group
According to Mr Thuku, Mr Njoroge and his wife were seated at the front of the matatu with their two sons, while their daughter sat at the back and survived.
“They had been married for more than 15 years and shared a strong bond. My brother was the first-born in our family of five and the main breadwinner. He was very social and selfless. Whenever someone asked for help, he would do his best, even if it meant asking for more time to find a solution,” he said in a phone interview.
The Nation also learnt that Mr Njoroge had recently visited their parents in Gatundu, where he stayed with his family for two weeks. The family was planning to hold a gathering on Wednesday, January 7.
“When he came home, he told me he had been granted some time off work and decided to visit us in Gatundu. He spent time with his children, nieces and nephews. He said he was returning to work but would come back later in January because we had a project to work on at home,” Mr Thuku said.
He last spoke to his brother on December 31, 2025, when they discussed preparations for the planned family gathering.
The bodies of the four victims were transferred from Naivasha Sub-County Hospital mortuary to Kenyatta University Mortuary on Tuesday.
At their home in Gatundu, burial arrangements are underway.
Another family member, Mary Wambui, told the Nation that the four will be laid to rest in Gatundu. However, the family is now grappling with the financial burden of funeral arrangements.
“We are hard-pressed by funeral costs, including mortuary fees. But we hope to raise the required amount and give them a dignified send-off,” Ms Wambui said.
Separately, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has identified 860 black spots across the country, with the majority located along the Northern Corridor and within Nairobi County.
The Rift Valley region leads with 256 black spots, followed by Eastern (158), Nyanza (137), Central (134) and Nairobi (105). Western has 62, Coast 56, while North Eastern has eight.
Latest NTSA data shows that most road accidents are caused by human error, including speeding, dangerous overtaking, lane indiscipline, poor signage and lack of road markings.
The wreckage of the Greenline Bus that collided head on with a 11-seater matatu at Karai in Naivasha along Nakuru-Nairobi highway on January 04, 2026.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group
When NTSA launched the Northern Corridor and Nairobi County Route Hazard Mapping Report in 2018, it revealed that Nairobi had the highest number of dangerous roads in the country.
Statistics further indicate that most accidents and fatalities occur at black spots, particularly during the festive season.
“The Nairobi–Nakuru–Eldoret corridor (Kinungi, Salgaa, Sachangwan, Timboroa) and Mombasa Road (Maji ya Chumvi, Kibarani), as well as key stretches in Central, Western and Nyanza regions, are characterised by sharp curves, steep slopes, heavy traffic or poor visibility, requiring extreme caution from drivers,” NTSA data shows.
The Kinungi–Naivasha–Gilgil stretch, where the Karai accident occurred, is among the most notorious sections of the Nairobi–Nakuru highway, frequently recording fatal crashes.
