Two people have lost their lives after the matatu they were travelling in got involved in a road accident at Malili on the busy Nairobi-Mombasa Highway.
The early morning accident left several others with injuries after a Naekana Matatu travelling from Taveta to Nairobi collided with a lorry.
Attempts by the driver to shove the matatu off the road proved futile, leaving the front part damaged as a result of the impact.
The incident happened in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, and survivors of the crash are currently undergoing treatment in nearby hospitals.
In August 2018, eight people lost their lives near the same spot after a Nairobi-bound matatu they were traveling in collided head-on with a lorry between Malili and Salama towns.
According to police reports, 12 other passengers suffered major injuries in the accident.
A year earlier, a former Kilifi nominated senator, Priscilla Zawadi Kitsao, was on August 5, involved an accident while traveling along the same stretch.
The Tuesday incident comes as the country is still reeling from another shocking road crash involving a Nairobi-bound matatu at Jua Kali in Tetu, Nyeri County. The grisly accident sparked panic among residents and road users who witnessed the scene.
The matatu, a minibus popularly known as ‘Upper Cut’, was reportedly being driven recklessly before it lost control and overturned in the middle of the road.
A total of 22 passengers were injured in the accident, with one confirmed dead and four others admitted in critical condition at the Nyeri County Referral Hospital.
The matatu was reportedly ferrying a group of passengers who had booked it for a weekend getaway to Zaina Falls in Nyeri County.
Over 4,300 people lost their lives on Kenyan roads in 2024, marking a slight decline from the 4,690 fatalities recorded in 2023. According to the National Transport and Safety Authority, the leading causes of these accidents included speeding, reckless overtaking, drunk driving, failure by pedestrians to use designated crossings, and poor road conditions in certain areas.
