Kenya’s road safety crisis has come under renewed scrutiny after at least 22 people were killed in a horrific head-on collision involving a passenger bus and a lorry along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway, barely weeks after another deadly crash on the same road.
The accident occurred at Kanga area, past Mtito Andei in Makueni County, leaving several other passengers injured and both vehicles severely damaged.
According to Makueni County Commissioner Abdullahi Khalif, the bus, which belonged to Power of the Word Church International, was carrying approximately 45 passengers travelling towards Mombasa when it collided with an oncoming tipper truck at around 7 a.m.
Khalif said the bus driver was attempting to overtake several vehicles when the bus veered to the right and collided head-on with the truck. The impact was so severe that part of the bus was ripped apart, scattering seats and debris across the roadside.
Initial reports indicated that 20 people died at the scene, with two others later succumbing to their injuries while receiving treatment, bringing the death toll to 22.
The injured survivors were taken to nearby health facilities, including Mtito Andei Sub-County Hospital and Makindu Sub-County Hospital, for medical attention.
The bus was reportedly transporting passengers returning from a burial ceremony when the accident occurred, turning their journey into a devastating tragedy for the affected families.
The latest accident has intensified concerns about road safety along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway, one of Kenya’s most important transport corridors, connecting the capital to the Coast and serving thousands of motorists, passengers and commercial vehicles.
The tragedy comes just weeks after another accident near Salama along the same highway claimed 17 lives, highlighting the persistent dangers facing road users on the busy route.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has previously identified sections of the highway as accident black spots, where the risk of serious collisions is particularly high.
Dangerous overtaking, speeding, driver fatigue and poor road conditions have frequently featured in discussions about road crashes in Kenya. However, investigators will need to establish the precise circumstances surrounding Sunday’s collision.
The latest incident also raises questions about whether existing road safety measures are sufficient to protect passengers travelling on long-distance routes, particularly where buses and heavy commercial vehicles share the same highway.
As investigations continue, affected families are left mourning their loved ones, while survivors face recovery following one of the latest major road tragedies in the country.
The accident is likely to renew calls for stricter enforcement of traffic regulations, greater driver accountability and improved safety measures along accident-prone sections of the highway.
