Several people are feared dead while others sustained serious injuries following a grisly road crash along the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway in the early hours of Monday morning.
The accident occurred at around 2:00 a.m. at Karai area in Naivasha after a Greenline bus collided head on with a Nanyuki Cabs shuttle.
The impact left both vehicles extensively damaged, with the matatu’s front section completely crushed and the bus sustaining severe undercarriage damage.
Motorists and residents in the area were among the first to respond, offering assistance before police officers and emergency teams arrived at the scene.
The Kenya Red Cross confirmed the incident, saying several injured victims were rushed to Naivasha District Hospital for treatment.
“A road traffic accident occurred at around 2:00 a.m. at Karai along the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway involving a bus and a matatu.Several injured people were taken to Naivasha District Hospital as Kenya Red Cross and other emergency teams responded,” the organisation said.
Preliminary reports indicated that at least nine people lost their lives in the crash, among them two minors.
Authorities were still working to establish the exact number of casualties by the time of publication.
Images circulating online showed the extent of the destruction, underscoring the severity of the collision.
The tragedy comes barely two days after another fatal accident along the same highway at Kikopey in Gilgil.
That incident, which occurred on Saturday, January 3, involved a Great Rift 14-seater matatu and a trailer, reportedly caused by brake failure on the truck.
Five people died on the spot after the matatu was crushed against a stationary vehicle.
Nakuru County Police Commander Emmanuel Opuru urged motorists to exercise heightened caution, especially as traffic volumes increase with people returning to Nairobi after the festive season.
“We have received the report and dispatched teams to the scene. Motorists must be extra careful, particularly on major highways during this period,” Opuru said.
Meanwhile, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) expressed concern over a spike in fatal road accidents on major highways in recent days.
In a statement, the authority linked several crashes to reckless driving and failure to observe traffic rules.
NTSA called on all road users to remain vigilant, noting that schools are reopening in the first week of January, increasing the number of vehicles and passengers on the roads.
“We urge all road users to exercise extreme caution and strictly adhere to traffic regulations, especially as children travel back to school,” the authority said.
Investigations into the Karai crash are ongoing as police work to establish the exact cause of the collision.
By Andrew Kariuki
