The Nairobi-Mombasa highway is once again living up to its deadly reputation.
Verified data shows three crashes in one month have killed 41 people along the busy corridor, according to Nation and police reports.
The latest and worst happened Sunday, October 25, at Kanga, near Mtito Andei in Makueni.
At least 22 church members died when their bus, KCN 373N, carrying 45 mourners back to Mombasa from a burial in Western Kenya, collided head-on with a tipper truck at 7:45am while overtaking. Makueni County Commissioner Abdullahi Khalif confirmed the toll.
It came barely three weeks after another horror at Salama on October 3. Seventeen Catholic pilgrims, mostly women, died when a lorry failed to overtake and hit their matatu.
That crash sparked calls for action after NTSA flagged Salama and Kanga as black spots.
A third crash slipped past headlines. On Friday night, October 23, two members of one family died near Mtito Andei when their new Probox rammed a trailer while driving from Mombasa. One person survived in critical condition.
NTSA now blames improper overtaking and speeding as common factors and urges caution ahead of the festive season.
