At least twelve people lost their lives on Thursday in a road accident involving a passenger shuttle and a trailer in Voi along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.
According to videos viewed by Kenyans.co.ke, a shuttle owned by Genesis, a Public Service Transport company, collided with a trailer in the Ikanga area of Voi, Taita-Taveta County. This collision resulted in multiple passengers being ejected from the vehicle and scattered across the road.
Confirming the incident, Voi OCPD Bernstein Shari stated that the shuttle, en route from Nairobi to Mombasa, was unable to avoid the trailer traveling in the opposite direction.
As a result of the collision, four passengers were rescued from the chaos and promptly transported to Moi Referral Hospital in Voi.
"Responding to a grisly road accident in Ndii, Voi County, involving a head-on collision between a Matatu and a lorry," read part of a statement issued by Emergency Medical Services.
"We are working alongside the Kenya Police and well-wishers, we are swiftly evacuating the critically injured to the hospital," the statement further read.
The footage depicted the highway with trailers parked on either side, while pedestrians and first responders hurried to the scene to aid the police in their rescue efforts.
This accident highlighted the prevalence of road accidents in Kenya.
According to the most recent data released by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), a total of 1,756 road accident fatalities were reported between January 1, 2023, and May 2023.
This marked a rise from the previous year, where 1,679 fatalities were reported during the corresponding period.
Among these incidents, pedestrians constituted the largest group, with 571 fatalities, followed by motorcycle operators with 449 casualties.
NTSA disclosed that the primary cause of accidents in the country was unfit drivers.
Consequently, the Authority has been actively engaged in awareness campaigns aimed at equipping drivers with the necessary information to operate safely on the roads.
