Live update: Senators discuss governors snubbing summons
Premium
Road accidents kill 16 people in first 72 hours of 2026
The wreckage of a 16-seater Great Rift matatu that was involved in an accident at Kekopey, Gilgil, on the Nakuru-Nairobi Highway on January 3, 2025.
At least 16 people were killed and many others injured in the first 72 hours of 2026 as road accidents were reported in different parts of the country.
In the first incident, a Mombasa-bound matatu collided with a Nairobi-bound bus on Friday at 10.30pm, killing eight people and injuring nine others.
In the second, a matatu was hit from behind by a truck and pushed into another truck ahead of it at Kikopey on the Gilgil–Nakuru Highway on Saturday morning. Six people were killed and eight others injured.
In the third incident, a bus veered off the road and overturned at Taita Village on the Nairobi–Mombasa Highway, leaving several passengers injured.
On New Year’s Day, two people died and one was seriously injured in an accident near Burnt Forest on the Nakuru–Eldoret Highway. In another crash on the same day, one person died and 21 others were injured at Asao Bridge along the Katito–Kendu Bay Road after a pick-up truck collided with a 14-seater matatu.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) said in a statement that it was “deeply saddened by the tragic road traffic crashes”.
The agency’s data as of December 15 shows that road fatalities rose slightly in 2025 compared to 2024, increasing from 4,311 to 4,458 deaths.
“We urge all road users to exercise extreme caution and adhere to traffic rules, especially as our children travel back to school next week,” NTSA said.
Survivors speak
Survivors of the Konza accident included Meshack Mutua and Agnes Wanjiru.
When Mr Mutua boarded a Mombasa-bound matatu at River Road in Nairobi on Friday night, he had no idea he would end up in a hospital bed. He had secured a job in Mombasa and was upbeat as the journey began.
Barely an hour after leaving Nairobi, the matatu collided with a bus near Konza Technocity on the Nairobi–Mombasa Highway.
Mr Mutua was among nine survivors of the 10.30pm accident, which killed eight people.
“Wailing filled the matatu after it collided with an oncoming bus,” Mr Mutua told reporters at Machakos County Referral Hospital on Saturday.
The 18-seater matatu, operated by Naekana Sacco, was heading to the Lunga Lunga border town in Kwale County via Mombasa, while the Tahmeed Coach Limited bus was travelling towards Nairobi. Three men and three women died on the spot, while two men later succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment at Machakos County Referral Hospital.
“Machakos Level 5 Hospital received 11 injured patients following the road accident. Two male patients later succumbed to their injuries, bringing the total number of fatalities at the hospital mortuary to eight,” said Machakos Health Chief Officer Rashid Kalla.
He said five of the nine survivors had been discharged after treatment for minor injuries, while the rest were still receiving medical care.
Mukaa Sub-county Police Commander Hussein Abduba said preliminary investigations showed that the matatu was attempting to overtake a lorry when it collided head-on with the bus.
Tahmeed Coach Limited said the accident occurred after a passenger matatu collided with a truck and was forced into the path of the bus.
In the Kikopey accident, a 16-seater shuttle belonging to Great Rift Shuttle was involved in a crash with two trucks at about 10am on Saturday.
Gilgil Sub-county Police Commander Winston Mwakio said the driver of one truck lost control after its brakes failed and rammed into the shuttle, which was heading towards Nakuru. The shuttle then hit another truck that was parked by the roadside, killing five people on the spot. One more person later succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment in hospital. Eight people sustained serious injuries and were rushed to Gilgil Sub-county Hospital, while three escaped unhurt.
Among the survivors was Wycliffe Simiyu, who escaped unhurt together with his two children while travelling to his rural home in Webuye, Bungoma County.
On New Year’s Day, two people died and one was seriously injured near Burnt Forest on the Eldoret–Nakuru Highway in a crash involving a container truck and a Toyota Voxy. In a separate accident on the same day, one person died and 21 others were injured at Asao Bridge along the Katito–Kendu Bay Road.
Nyakach Sub-county Hospital received 21 injured passengers, including four children. Medical Superintendent Dr Paul Ogolla said 20 patients were stabilised and referred to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, while one critically injured patient died during treatment.
Hospital staff mounted a rapid response, recalling off-duty medics and receiving support from the Kisumu County Government.
Additional reporting by Rushdie Oudia and George Odiwour
Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
