Tragedy struck on Sunday afternoon when a matatu collided head-on with a lorry at Elementaita along the busy Nakuru–Nairobi Highway, leaving at least 13 people feared dead and three others critically injured.
Police and rescuers rushed to the scene, where survivors were quickly ferried to nearby hospitals as families anxiously awaited news of their loved ones.
The horrific crash comes less than 24 hours after another fatal accident on the same stretch of road, where six people — including a patient, her husband, two relatives, a nurse, and an ambulance driver — lost their lives near Kimende.
The Nakuru–Nairobi Highway, part of the Northern Corridor, has long been branded one of Kenya’s deadliest roads. According to NTSA data, the highway accounts for nearly 10 percent of all road deaths in the country every year, with notorious black spots such as Gilgil, Kinungi, Salgaa, and Sachangwan repeatedly claiming lives.
Experts continue to blame reckless driving, overspeeding, driver fatigue, and poorly maintained vehicles for the rising carnage. Last year alone, over 4,000 lives were lost in road crashes nationwide.
Police confirmed investigations are underway to establish the cause of the Elementaita accident, as pressure mounts on authorities to tighten traffic enforcement and find lasting solutions to the unrelenting bloodshed on Kenya’s roads.
