NAIROBI, Kenya- At least 22 people were killed when a passenger bus and a lorry collided on the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway near Mtito Andei on Sunday morning, according to police and early media reports.
The crash happened at about 7 am in the Kanga area, past Mtito Andei in Makueni County.
The bus was travelling towards Mombasa with passengers returning from the burial of their church pastor in western Kenya when it collided with the lorry.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) said preliminary information indicated the vehicles collided head-on and that improper overtaking may have contributed.
Investigators were working with police to establish what happened.
The cause had not been confirmed.
The reported death toll changed as information came in.
Passengers returning from a funeral
Witnesses identified the bus as belonging to The Power of the Word Church International. The passengers were travelling back to Mombasa after attending their pastor’s funeral in western Kenya.
One survivor, Violet Mwandonyi, told Y News she could not recall the moment of the crash. She said she did not know what had happened to her two children, who were also on the bus.
Her account reflected the uncertainty facing families as they sought information about passengers.
The injured were taken to Mtito Andei Sub-County Hospital, where medical staff were treating them.
The bodies of those who died were also taken to a local hospital mortuary, according to reports.
One passenger told Y News that a truck struck the bus from behind, causing it to overturn.
Investigators have yet to establish the precise sequence or determine whether any other factors contributed.
Another fatal crash on the same highway
The accident occurred about three weeks after a separate crash near Salama, also in Makueni County, killed 17 people, most of them Catholic pilgrims.
That collision involved several vehicles on the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway.
NTSA has previously identified sections of the highway as accident black spots and said recommendations had been made to address safety concerns.
The road carries heavy passenger and cargo traffic between Nairobi and the Coast, and dangerous overtaking has been cited by authorities as a risk on the route.
The latest crash has renewed concern about road safety along the corridor.
However, investigators have not yet issued final findings on the cause of Sunday’s collision.
NTSA said its crash investigation team was working with police to establish the full circumstances.
Authorities are expected to provide further information as investigations continue and hospitals update the status of those injured.
