NAIROBI, Kenya- Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has announced a three-part plan to improve road safety after a bus and lorry crash at Kanga near Mtito Andei killed at least 22 people.
In a statement dated Sunday, October 25, Chirchir said the Ministry would focus on improving high-risk road sections, strengthening traffic enforcement and increasing training and oversight of commercial and public service vehicle drivers.
“Road crashes continue to claim innocent lives, destroy families, overwhelm our health system and undermine national economic productivity,” Chirchir said. “We cannot continue treating road safety as business as usual.”
The fatal collision happened at about 7:45 am on the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway in Makueni County.
The ministry’s statement said it involved a passenger bus belonging to The Power of the Word Church International, Mombasa, and a commercial cement tipper truck.
The passengers were travelling back to Mombasa after attending their pastor’s burial in western Kenya.
The ministry reported 22 deaths and 10 injured people.
Ministry sets out three areas of action
Chirchir said the ministry would strengthen its black spot management programme, targeting high-risk road sections with engineering work and other infrastructure improvements.
A black spot is a section of road identified as having a history of crashes or a heightened risk of collisions.
The second focus is traffic enforcement.
The ministry said it would work with relevant agencies to step up action against dangerous driving, including reckless overtaking and speeding, while promoting responsible road use.
The third area is training and oversight for commercial and public service vehicle drivers.
Chirchir said the ministry would pursue structured training and compliance measures to improve driver competence, discipline and adherence to road safety requirements.
The ministry also plans to engage Parliament, the Senate and the Judiciary on implementation challenges involving the Commercial Vehicle Regulations 2026, Vehicle Inspection Regulations 2026 and School Transport Regulations 2026.
“These regulatory frameworks are critical to strengthening vehicle roadworthiness, driver accountability, fatigue management and the safe operation of commercial and public service vehicles,” Chirchir said.
The statement added that the two vehicles involved in the Kanga crash were commercial vehicles, one operated by a church and the other by a commercial enterprise.
Chirchir said this highlighted the need for effective regulation and enforcement, while stressing that investigators had yet to establish the precise cause.
Cause remains under investigation
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) said preliminary reports indicated that the vehicles collided head-on and that improper overtaking may have contributed.
The authority said its investigation team was working with police to establish the full circumstances.
The Ministry of Roads and Transport said injured passengers were receiving treatment at Mtito Andei Sub-County Hospital and Kambu Level 4 Hospital.
Chirchir commended emergency responders, medical personnel and security officers involved in the rescue and treatment of victims.
The crash came three weeks after a separate accident near Salama, also on the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway, killed 17 people, most of them pilgrims.
The latest deaths have renewed attention on safety along the busy route, which carries passenger and commercial traffic between the capital and the Coast.
Chirchir said the government would pursue a coordinated response involving road agencies, law enforcement, the health sector, county governments and other stakeholders, with “clear responsibilities, measurable targets and stronger accountability.”
The investigations into the Kanga collision are continuing.
