UPDATE January 26, 12:25 pm: The death toll from the Thursday morning, January 26, Kikopey accident rose to seven.
This is after two more casualties succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at a nearby St Mary and St Joseph hospitals in Gilgil.
Several others are still nursing injuries even as the police continue with investigations into the cause of the accident.
Motorists plying the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway were advised to drive with caution.
Five people lost their lives on the morning of Wednesday, January 26, after a multiple-car crash at Kikopey Trading Centre along the Nakuru - Nairobi Highway.
The National Police Service (NPS), while confirming the accident, noted that the incident involved two public service vehicles (PSVs) and a lorry.
A Mololine Service shuttle and another managed by Nairobi Bus Company rammed into a lorry that had stalled along the climbing lane on the left side of the road used by motorists heading towards Nairobi.
"Our preliminary investigations indicate that two matatus belonging to Nairobi and Mololine Bus Companies rammed onto a lorry that was stalled along the climbing lane facing towards Nairobi direction," read a statement from the police.
Reports indicated that the accident happened at around 5 am on Thursday. Four adults and one child died in the accident while others sustained serious injuries.
In the photos sent from the scene and seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the two matatus were extremely damaged to signify the impact of the crash of the three vehicles.
The cause of the fatal accident was yet to be fully established at the time of this publication. However, the police committed to launch a probe into the matter.
In addition, the NPS urged Kenyans to take precautions while using the road amid concerns over the increased number of accidents.
"We appeal to motorists and all road users to adhere to traffic rules by driving within the legal speed limits, refraining from driving under influence of alcohol and any other form of recklessness on the road," read a statement from the police.
The accident happened amid sensitization campaigns by relevant agencies aimed at taming road carnage in the country.
According to a report from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the number of deaths from road accidents increased from 4271 in 2021, to 4432 as of December 2022.
High-speed and drunk driving have always emerged as the leading causes of road accidents, especially for long distances travellers.
