22 people have been killed in a head-on collision involving a passenger bus and a lorry along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway, weeks after another crash on the same road claimed 17 lives.
The latest accident occurred at around 7am on Sunday, October 25, at Kanga, past Mtito Andei, in Makueni County, leaving several other people injured.
According to reports, the bus was carrying passengers returning from a burial ceremony when it collided with the oncoming lorry.
Makueni County Commissioner Abdullahi Khalif confirmed the deaths, while the injured were rushed to Mtito Andei Sub-County Hospital for treatment. The bodies of those who died were taken to the hospital mortuary.
The cause of the crash had not been established by the time of publication.
The latest tragedy has renewed concerns over safety on the busy highway, which connects Nairobi to Mombasa and serves thousands of motorists and passengers daily.
On October 3, 17 people died in a separate accident at Mlima Kiu in Salama, Makueni County, involving a matatu, lorries and other vehicles.
Police said that crash followed a lorry driver’s failed overtaking manoeuvre, which triggered a chain of collisions. The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) subsequently dispatched an investigation team to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The authority also identified the Salama stretch as an accident black spot and said recommendations had previously been made to address safety concerns.
The two incidents have occurred as police and NTSA step up road safety awareness campaigns ahead of the December festive season, when travel demand typically increases.
Motorists have been urged to observe speed limits, avoid dangerous overtaking and maintain proper lane discipline.
Investigations into the latest Kanga crash are expected to establish what led to the collision.
