HOMABAY, Kenya — At least 10 people from the same family were killed on Sunday night in a grisly road accident along the Kisii–Kisumu highway at Chabera, in Rachuonyo East Sub-County, Homabay County, police have confirmed.
The crash, which occurred on December 14, involved two lorries and a private van that was travelling from Kakamega County towards Nyamira. Authorities said the victims were returning to their home in Nyamaiya, Nyamira North, after attending a wedding ceremony in Kakamega.
Several other passengers sustained serious injuries and were rushed to nearby health facilities, including Agoro Sare Hospital and Matata Nursing Home in Oyugis town. Medical personnel said some of the injured remain in critical condition.
Homabay Governor Gladys Wanga conveyed her condolences to the bereaved families and directed county emergency teams to work closely with national agencies to manage the aftermath of the tragedy.
“I have directed all county emergency services to coordinate with national authorities for rescue operations and to provide full support to the injured and bereaved families. A thorough investigation into the cause is underway,” Wanga said.
The latest accident adds to growing concern over a spike in fatal road crashes across the country in recent days. On Saturday night, eight people were killed in Nyamira County after a matatu collided with a trailer.
Earlier the same day, former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo died in a separate road accident at Karai along the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway.
The back-to-back tragedies have once again placed Kenya’s road safety record under scrutiny. According to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), 4,458 people had died in road accidents by early December 2025, already exceeding the total of 4,311 fatalities recorded in the whole of 2024.
NTSA attributes most crashes to unsafe road behaviour, including overspeeding, driver fatigue, drunk driving, dangerous overtaking and lane indiscipline.
Pedestrians remain the most vulnerable road users, followed by motorcyclists and their passengers.
The authority estimates that road accidents cost Kenya between 3pc and 5pc of its gross domestic product annually, and continues to urge motorists to exercise caution, ensure their vehicles are roadworthy and strictly observe traffic rules, warning that road safety remains a shared responsibility.
