The death toll from a spate of grisly accidents on the Nakuru-Nairobi highway has climbed to 21, police confirmed on Monday, underscoring the worsening carnage on one of Kenya’s busiest roads.
Three more victims, including two children, succumbed to their injuries on Monday after being rushed to hospital following a collision near Kikopey in Gilgil.
The accident, which occurred on Sunday afternoon, involved a 14-seater matatu and a lorry. Thirteen passengers were killed on the spot.
Nakuru County Police Commander Emmanuel Opuru said the matatu, which had been hired by a family traveling from Nairobi to Nakuru, was attempting to overtake when it collided head-on with the oncoming trailer.
“The matatu rammed into the truck causing 13 fatalities and leaving three others seriously injured,” he said. The latest deaths bring the toll from that crash to 16, wiping out members of the same family.
The tragedy came just hours after six people perished in a separate crash involving an ambulance near Kimende, along the same highway. The ambulance, affiliated with St Mary’s Mission Hospital in Elementaita, was ferrying a critically ill patient when it lost control and crashed, killing the patient, her husband, two relatives, a nurse and the driver instantly.
A third incident occurred between Kikopey and St Mary’s on Sunday, where a truck overturned, blocking the highway and triggering a major traffic snarl-up. Several passengers were reported injured, though exact figures remain unclear.
The back-to-back accidents have reignited concerns over speeding, reckless driving and enforcement of traffic regulations on the busy corridor that links Nairobi to western Kenya. Police have launched investigations into the incidents.
