At least six people from the same village in Gatanga, Murang’a County, died after the matatu they were travelling in lost control and plunged into the Kiama River early Sunday morning.
According to police, the victims were members of an extended family from Ndia Village in Kariara Ward, returning from a dowry ceremony in Nazareth, Kiambu County.
Among the dead were a husband and wife. Six other passengers were injured and taken to Kirwara Hospital and Murang’a Level 5 Hospital for treatment.
The accident occurred at Wacengu Bridge on the River Kiama, with witnesses reporting that the vehicle appeared to have developed mechanical problems before veering off the road.
Police said they have launched investigations into the incident as the bodies were moved to a local mortuary pending postmortem examinations.
The tragedy came barely a day after six people were killed in a head-on collision between a bus and a private vehicle at Soysambu near Gilgil along the Nakuru–Nairobi Highway.
Police said the two incidents raised the death toll on Kenyan roads to 23 since Saturday, with dozens more injured. They cited reckless overtaking, speeding, drunk driving, and mechanical failures as the leading causes of accidents.
Authorities have also pointed to poor road conditions and lax enforcement of traffic laws as factors worsening the crisis. The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has launched renewed road safety campaigns ahead of the festive season.
