Members of the Academia Yatta band were on Sunday, February 11 involved in a road accident along the Machakos-Kitui road after a matatu rammed into their band van.
The Ken wa Maria-led band was headed back to Nairobi from Kitui when the accident occurred around the Makutano ma Mwala area at around 5:45 am.
Mwala sub-county police commander Nancy Jerobon, confirming the incident, stated that 12 people sustained both minor and major injuries, however, no fatalities were reported.
Some of the victims sustained leg and neck injuries, with others suffering jaw, eye, and lip blows.
Officers from the Masii Police Post were deployed to the accident scene to restore normalcy following a brief snarl up occasioned by the accident.
Jerobon further noted that the vehicles which were damaged extensively from the impact of the crash were tolled to the Massi police station, pending investigations.
The 11 injured in the accident are currently receiving treatment at the Masii Level 3 Hospital, while the mini-bus driver was rushed to Machakos Level 5 Hospital for advanced treatment.
Investigations have been launched to ascertain the circumstances that led to the accident, as available witnesses told the police they got there after the accident happened.
This accident comes two years after the band was again involved in a crash in Machakos when the leader Ken wa Maria was ferrying them for a performance show at Kathiani town.
The band van in 2022 developed mechanical problems and veered off the road ramming into tree logs at the Kathaayoni area along the Machakos-Kathiani road.
Meanwhile, a family in Embu is mourning the death of their kin after a 14-seater matatu rammed into a motorcycle at the Kandongu Junction along the Mwea-Embu Highway on Sunday morning.
The motorbike rider and his passenger were rushed to a local hospital, where they were confirmed dead on arrival.
“We are urging the government to erect a speed bump at Kandongu junction along Mwea-Embu Highway because the number of accidents along the busy highway is rising daily,” the police noted.
