The grief-stricken families of nine people killed in a devastating road accident on Monday morning, January 5, are demanding answers from the government.
While addressing the press at Naivasha Hospital Mortuary on Tuesday, January 7, relatives gathered to identify their loved ones following the collision between a Greenline bus and a 14-seater matatu along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway at the Karai area.
Among the victims was a Catholic catechist who died alongside his wife and two children in what has become one of the deadliest accidents this year.
The catechist's wife worked as a teacher in Gilgil. Their daughter, who survived the crash, is currently receiving treatment at Nairobi Women's Hospital, Naivasha.
The accident occurred around 1am on Monday morning as the matatu travelled from Kiambu to Gilgil.
Survivors have pointed fingers at the bus driver, alleging reckless conduct behind the wheel.
"From the word go, when the journey started, the driver was driving recklessly. We tried to shout to him to drive responsibly, but all our words fell on deaf ears as he was ignorant," one survivor recounted.
However, official findings are pending, with the families now asking authorities, including the police, the National Transport and Safety Authority, and the Ministry of Transport, to conduct a thorough probe into the grisly accident.
"The Ministry of Transport must conduct a thorough investigation into the rising road crashes and take swift action to prevent further tragedies," the families said.
Their demand comes as Kenya's road death toll climbs at an alarming rate.
In just six days of 2026, at least 31 people have died in road accidents across the country.
On the same Tuesday, eight more lives were lost in two separate crashes in Kericho and Baringo counties.
In Kericho, six people perished when a bus rammed into a trailer from behind along the Tunnel Mandera section of the Muhoroni-Londiani road.
Families want concrete solutions, comprehensive investigations, stricter enforcement of traffic rules, mandatory driver conduct checks, and targeted highway safety interventions.
They say commuters deserve safer roads and accountability when preventable tragedies occur.
