Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o has urged the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to redesign the Kisumu–Kakamega highway following a fatal accident that left 26 people dead on Friday evening.
The crash, which occurred at the notorious Coptic blackspot, involved a school bus ferrying mourners from Nyahera to Nyakach in Kisumu County. According to witnesses, the vehicle lost control while attempting to negotiate a sharp corner, rolling several times.
While visiting survivors at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) on Saturday, Prof Nyong’o called for urgent intervention to prevent similar tragedies. He also appealed to Kenyans to donate blood for those injured.
The tragedy has devastated the community, with 22 of the victims reportedly belonging to the same Korwa clan in Koguta, Nyakach Sub County. Relatives have described the incident as a generational loss. Mary Achieng’, who lost multiple family members, said the deaths had “wiped out our lineage” and left them in shock.
The death toll rose to 26 on Saturday morning after one of the five passengers in critical condition succumbed to injuries. The fatalities included 10 men, 10 women and an eight-month-old baby. At least 20 survivors remain admitted at JOOTRH, five of them in critical care, while 28 others with less severe injuries are awaiting surgery.
The government has pledged to cover all medical and burial expenses. The accident follows a spate of fatal crashes along Kenyan highways, renewing public concern over road safety and infrastructure design.
Prof Nyong’o said the Coptic blackspot had claimed many lives over the years and warned that without structural changes, more deaths were inevitable. “We cannot normalise tragedy,” he said. “This road must be fixed before we bury more people.”
