Written by Were Kelly
Seven people were killed early Saturday morning in a grisly collision between a passenger matatu and a lorry along the Kitengela–Isinya Road in Kajiado County, adding to a grim week of deadly accidents on Kenyan roads.
The crash occurred at Korompoi, where the matatu and lorry collided head-on, leaving the minibus mangled and the highway littered with debris. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, ferrying several injured passengers to nearby hospitals.
Angry residents, shocked by the scale of the tragedy, blocked the road and demanded urgent government intervention to improve road safety.
A witness described the scene as “chaotic and heartbreaking,” with locals working alongside first responders before police arrived. The cause of the accident had not yet been confirmed by press time.
The tragedy came less than 24 hours after another horrific crash on the Kisumu–Kakamega Highway, where at least 25 people died when a bus carrying mourners overturned at the notorious Coptic Roundabout blackspot.
The bus, belonging to AIC Naki High School, reportedly lost control around 5:30 p.m. Friday and plunged into a ditch. Nyanza Regional Traffic Commander Peter Maina confirmed the vehicle had been travelling from Kakamega toward Kisumu when the driver appeared to lose control.
According to Health Principal Secretary Dr. Ouma Olunga, 21 passengers died instantly while four others succumbed to injuries at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH). At least 28 survivors, including a child, remain hospitalised.
“We have mobilised all health workers on duty and alerted additional personnel to ensure the injured get the best possible care,” Olunga said.
President William Ruto issued a statement on Saturday urging traffic enforcement authorities to take immediate measures to address reckless driving and poor road safety compliance.
“We ask traffic enforcers to act swiftly to bring to book those responsible for any acts of negligence leading to the accident and address all traffic violations to ensure road safety across the country,” Ruto said, offering condolences to grieving families.
Earlier in the week, eight people died near Morendat Farm in Naivasha when a Kenya Pipeline Company staff bus collided with a train, underscoring ongoing concerns over Kenya’s most dangerous transport corridors.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has repeatedly urged motorists to exercise caution, particularly along known accident-prone stretches, while a new bill before Parliament seeks to give NTSA oversight across road, rail, air, and maritime accident investigations.
As police work to clear the Kitengela–Isinya scene, authorities have advised motorists to avoid the route until normal traffic flow resumes.
