Two separate road tragedies have claimed at least 32 lives in Kenya within the past 24 hours, leaving the nation in shock and renewing calls for urgent road safety measures.
The most recent incident occurred early Saturday morning at Korompoi area along the Kitengela-Isinya road. A Nailepu Sacco matatu collided head-on with a lorry in what authorities say happened when one vehicle attempted to overtake a fleet of cars, ramming into the oncoming vehicle. The crash, described by witnesses as severe, killed seven people instantly and left eight others with serious injuries.
Emergency responders rushed the injured to nearby health facilities. Medical personnel expressed concern that the death toll could rise due to the critical nature of some injuries.
In the aftermath, angry residents blocked the busy highway in protest, demanding immediate action to address what they termed as the growing menace of reckless driving and unsafe road conditions along the route. The demonstration caused major traffic disruption before police intervened to restore order.
This accident followed another major crash in Kisumu on Friday evening that left 25 people dead. The incident occurred along the Kisumu-Kakamega highway when a bus carrying 61 members of the Sigoti Clan from Nyakach lost control near the Coptic roundabout. According to traffic reports, the bus was approaching the roundabout at high speed when it struck an object, veered off the road, and overturned into a ditch.
Twenty-one passengers died on the spot, while eight others were rushed to hospital with critical injuries. Four of those injured later succumbed while receiving treatment, raising the toll to 25. Survivors described scenes of chaos and panic as rescuers struggled to free passengers trapped inside the mangled wreckage.
The twin tragedies have drawn attention to Kenya’s alarming road safety record. Experts point to speeding, reckless overtaking, poor road signage, and inadequate enforcement of traffic laws as major contributors to the rising number of fatal accidents. Communities are now calling for stricter regulations on commercial transport, better driver training, and improved road infrastructure to help prevent such disasters.
As families mourn their loved ones and injured victims fight for their lives, the country is once again left grappling with the devastating human cost of unsafe roads. Calls for urgent reforms are growing louder, with demands that authorities take swift and decisive action to protect lives and restore public confidence in road safety.
