A tragic road accident has claimed six lives on the Nakuru–Nairobi Highway after an ambulance transporting a patient was involved in a fatal crash on Saturday night near Kimende. The victims included a patient, her husband, two relatives, a nurse, and the driver, all of whom were on an emergency transfer when the vehicle lost control at a notorious black spot.
The ambulance, belonging to St. Mary’s Elementaita, was heading towards Nairobi when the crash occurred. Authorities confirmed that none of the occupants survived. The Nakuru–Nairobi route, a critical stretch of the Northern Corridor, has long been identified as one of Kenya’s deadliest highways.
According to road safety data, black spots such as Kinungi, Gilgil, and Kimende consistently record high accident rates. Contributing factors often include speeding, poor road design, steep gradients, and the heavy mix of transit trucks and passenger vehicles using the busy highway.
The latest incident has once again raised concerns about the safety of medical teams and patients being transferred in emergencies. Health workers often risk their lives to save others, but the dangerous conditions on major highways expose them to fatal accidents.
Families of the victims have been left devastated, while colleagues in the health sector mourn the loss of a frontline nurse who was accompanying the patient. The crash underscores the urgent need for improved emergency response protocols, safer ambulance designs, and stricter traffic law enforcement.
The tragedy came just a day after another serious accident near Gilgil caused a massive traffic snarl-up along the same highway. That multi-vehicle collision involved several cars and a truck that overturned, blocking both lanes and leaving passengers stranded for hours.
As investigations continue, authorities are urging motorists to exercise caution along high-risk zones of the Nakuru–Nairobi route. Calls have also been renewed for infrastructural improvements and stronger enforcement measures to curb the alarming rate of accidents on Kenya’s busiest corridor.
