Six killed as truck, matatu and car collide on Nakuru-Eldoret Highway

Six people, including a matatu driver, were killed in a road traffic accident involving three vehicles on the Nakuru–Eldoret Highway in the Koriomat area.

The crash occurred at midnight when a Mercedes-Benz Actros truck travelling from Nakuru towards Eldoret swerved to the right in an attempt to avoid another vehicle ahead. 

The truck rammed into a Toyota Succeed before crashing into a North Rift Sacco Toyota Hiace matatu carrying ten passengers. 

The impact caused both vehicles to plunge into a ditch on the right-hand side of the highway.

Uasin Gishu County Commander Wilberforce Sichirani confirmed that the matatu driver, Shabaan Hassan Wanga, and five female passengers died at the scene.

Several other passengers sustained serious injuries and were taken to various medical facilities across Uasin Gishu County for treatment.

The bodies of the six victims have since been transferred to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) mortuary, where they await postmortem examinations.

"We have launched full-scale investigations to establish the exact cause of this unfortunate tragedy," Mr Sichirani said.

Authorities are working to identify the remaining victims and establish the total number of injured passengers. Wreckage from the scene is being towed to Burnt Forest Police Station for formal inspection.

The incident adds to the growing number of fatal road crashes across the country. Officials continue to raise the alarm over the trend, noting that many collisions are avoidable and are caused by human error, including reckless overtaking, speeding and drink-driving, despite sustained public safety campaigns by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).

These risks are compounded by mechanical failures involving poorly maintained vehicles and infrastructure hazards such as potholes and inadequate signage.

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