Written By Faith Mwende
A mechanical malfunction is suspected to have caused a serious road accident in the early hours of Friday, April 4, leaving 13 passengers injured and rushed to the Coast General Hospital for treatment.
The crash occurred around 1:00 a.m. at the Kibarani Flyover when a Tahmeed bus reportedly lost control while climbing uphill from Mwembe Tayari.
Witnesses say the bus’s brakes failed, causing it to roll backward and violently ram into a matatu from the Miritini Sacco that was following behind.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of panic as passengers jumped out of the moving vehicles moments before the collision.
“I saw someone leap from the bus, and something told me to jump too. That’s when I heard the crash behind me,” said one survivor, visibly shaken.
Among the injured was the matatu driver, while several passengers sustained head injuries and fractures.
Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene and transferred the victims to hospital.
No fatalities have been reported so far.
Chaani MCA Manuari Seff Juma, who visited the crash site, called out the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) for what he termed as “neglect of oversight responsibilities,” insisting that the accident could have been avoided with stricter enforcement of vehicle roadworthiness checks.
“This is a wake-up call. Vehicles must undergo proper servicing before being allowed on our roads,” Juma emphasized. He also appealed to KeNHA to improve the safety conditions of major highways, particularly during the ongoing rainy season.
The Kibarani incident happened just hours after a separate crash in Kiambu County, where students from Mugoiri Girls High School were injured when their matatu overturned en route for the April school break.
NTSA has since reiterated its call to transport operators to prioritize safety and comply with maintenance and licensing regulations to curb the growing number of road accidents.
