Tragedy at Malili: Two Dead, Several Injured in Matatu-Lorry Crash on Nairobi-Mombasa Highway
Two people have died and several others have been rushed to hospital after a horrific road crash at Malili on the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The fatal collision occurred when a Naekana Matatu travelling from Taveta to Nairobi collided head-on with a lorry. Despite the driver’s last-ditch attempt to veer the vehicle off the road, the impact destroyed the matatu’s front section, leaving passengers trapped and injured.
Witnesses say the crash unfolded in a matter of seconds, with emergency services arriving shortly after to ferry the wounded to nearby hospitals.
“It was terrifying. There were screams, and then silence. The entire front of the matatu was crushed,” one eyewitness recounted.
A Deadly Black Spot Strikes Again
This latest accident is not the first tragedy at the Malili stretch. In August 2018, eight people lost their lives in a similar head-on collision between Malili and Salama towns. Police records also show that in August 2017, former Kilifi nominated senator Priscilla Zawadi Kitsao narrowly escaped death in a crash along the same section of the highway.
The area is increasingly being marked as a notorious black spot, with calls for stricter speed monitoring and improved road signage intensifying.
A Series of Alarming Crashes
Tuesday’s fatality follows another recent accident that shook the nation — a matatu crash at Jua Kali in Tetu, Nyeri County, involving the infamous ‘Upper Cut’ minibus. The matatu, reportedly carrying passengers on a weekend getaway to Zaina Falls, lost control and overturned. One person was confirmed dead, while four others remain in critical condition at the Nyeri County Referral Hospital.
According to survivors, the vehicle was being driven recklessly moments before the crash.
NTSA: Grim Statistics and Ongoing Concerns
Kenyan roads claimed more than 4,300 lives in 2024, a slight drop from 4,690 in 2023. The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) lists speeding, reckless overtaking, drunk driving, pedestrian negligence, and poor road conditions as the leading causes of fatalities.
As Kenyans mourn the lives lost in these relentless road tragedies, the need for immediate government action, stiffer penalties, and enhanced driver education has never been more urgent.
In other news: IMF to Reassess Kenya’s Debt as Pressure Mounts Over Trillions in Loan Repayments
Tragedy at Malili: Two Dead, Several Injured in Matatu-Lorry Crash on Nairobi-Mombasa Highway