At least 13 people are feared dead and three others critically injured after a matatu collided with a lorry at Elementaita on the Nakuru–Nairobi highway on Sunday.
Police confirmed that those injured were rushed to nearby hospitals as rescue operations continued at the scene. The wreckage of the 14-seater matatu was towed to Gilgil Police Station as officers launched investigations into the cause of the collision.
The tragedy occurred barely 24 hours after six people were killed when a St Mary’s Elementaita ambulance crashed near Kimende on the same road. Among the victims in that incident were a patient, her husband, two relatives, a nurse, and the driver.
The Nakuru–Nairobi highway, a vital stretch of the Northern Corridor linking Mombasa to Uganda and other neighbouring countries, has long carried the reputation of being one of Kenya’s deadliest roads. Black spots such as Salgaa, Sachangwan, Kinungi, Gilgil and Elementaita repeatedly feature in accident reports.
According to the National Transport and Safety Authority, Nakuru County records some of the highest fatalities annually, with reckless driving, speeding, fatigue, and poorly maintained vehicles often cited as causes. NTSA data shows that more than 4,000 people died in road accidents across the country last year, nearly 10 per cent of them on this single highway.
Sunday’s crash has renewed calls for stricter enforcement of traffic regulations and the need to modernise Kenya’s ageing road infrastructure. Road safety campaigners argue that despite the highway’s economic importance, enforcement remains weak and drivers often flout basic safety rules.
As families mourn yet another wave of preventable deaths, pressure is mounting on authorities to address the rising toll of road carnage that continues to claim lives with alarming frequency.
