The death toll from the Naivasha accident has risen to 17 after three more patients died as a result of their injuries while being treated.
Pwani University was the hardest hit, losing ten students and staff, while others were left fighting for their lives in various hospitals following the accident on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
Survivors of the accident described being told to wear safety belts minutes before the bus collided with a matatu and crashed into a drainage ditch in Naivasha.
The bus was flashing and hooting before colliding with the matatu in Kayole estate on Thursday midday, and both vehicles crashed by the roadside.
According to Nakuru Health CEC Jackline Osore, 76 patients have been treated so far, and a total of 12 patients have been transferred to various hospitals, including the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and the Nakuru Provincial General Hospital (PGH), for specialised treatment.
Joyce Cheche, the county’s Chief Officer for Disaster Management, appealed for blood donations, noting that many of the victims had lost a lot of blood.
She described the incident as shocking, as it occurred only a day after seven people were killed in the Oljorai area after their homes were swept away by flash floods.
Evan Kipchumba, one of the injured students, said the trouble started when the bus hit one of the bumps on the highway, causing a mechanical breakdown.
He stated that the co-driver advised the students to wear their seat belts before the bus gained momentum and overtook cars at high speeds before colliding with the matatu.
Another student, Kevin Momanyi, stated that there were 62 students on the bus heading to Eldoret for the national hockey games.
