NAIVASHA, Kenya – Ten people have been confirmed dead following a late-night road crash involving a long-distance bus and a shuttle on the Nairobi–Nakuru highway at Karai, a stretch once again thrust into the spotlight over rising road carnage.
The accident occurred at around 11:30pm on Sunday when a Nairobi-bound Greenline bus collided head-on with a Nakuru-bound Nanyuki Cabs shuttle near Karai area in Naivasha Sub-County.
Nine victims died on the spot — eight passengers from the shuttle and a young child travelling aboard the bus.
By Monday morning, authorities confirmed the death toll had risen to ten, while five other passengers were admitted in critical condition.
A total of 35 injured survivors, including five children, were rushed to Naivasha Sub-County Referral Hospital for treatment.
The crash happened at the same spot where former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo lost his life in a road accident weeks ago, renewing concerns over safety along the busy highway section.
Naivasha Sub-County Police Commander Wilson Sigei said preliminary investigations indicate the bus driver was overtaking when the collision occurred.
“We are closely monitoring this stretch of the road because most drivers tend to speed here,” Sigei said, noting that investigations were ongoing to establish the exact circumstances leading to the crash.
However, eyewitness accounts offered a different version of events. Witnesses said a saloon car emerging from Eagle Petrol Station suddenly joined the highway, forcing the speeding bus driver to swerve, resulting in a head-on collision with the oncoming shuttle.
Passengers who survived the crash alleged that the bus driver appeared drowsy shortly after leaving Nakuru and that his driving raised concerns among travellers.
They claimed two conductors were asked to sit near him to keep him alert during the journey.
The latest tragedy adds to a growing list of fatal accidents along the Nairobi–Nakuru highway, reigniting calls for stricter enforcement of traffic laws, better regulation of public transport operators and urgent safety interventions at known black spots.
