On Friday afternoon, a bus transporting mourners from a funeral met with tragedy on the Kisumu-Kakamega Highway, resulting in the deaths of 25 individuals, as confirmed by local authorities and police reports. The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road and overturned into a nearby ditch. The area is notorious for frequent and fatal accidents, raising concerns about road safety.
The victims included 10 women, 10 men, and a young girl, many of whom were from the same family, while another 20 passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries, with five in critical condition. Four individuals later succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. Although the bus was meant for secondary school students, there were no students aboard at the time, as it was repurposed for funeral transportation.
The prelude to this heart-wrenching incident was a burial ceremony in Nyahera, with the bus traveling to Nyakach, a distance of approximately 62 kilometers (38.5 miles). In response to the tragedy, Kenya’s Ministry of Health called for an urgent blood donation drive to assist the survivors and extended heartfelt condolences to those affected by this painful loss. The Ministry also emphasized the need for caution among motorists, especially given the rising incidents of deadly road mishaps.
Kenyan President William Ruto took to social media platform X to demand swift action against those deemed responsible for negligence that contributed to the crash, urging authorities to address traffic violations seriously to bolster road safety across the country.
The National Transport and Safety Authority of Kenya will participate in the investigation into the crash's causes. This tragic accident follows a series of calamities in the country’s transportation sector, including recent incidents where six people died in a medical charity aircraft crash in Nairobi and another nine fatalities resulting from a bus colliding with a train in Naivasha.
Kenya has seen a significant rise in road fatalities over recent years, with a spike of over 20% recorded between 2020 and 2021. The grim statistics revealed that in 2021 alone, over 4,500 people lost their lives in road accidents, with more than 16,000 injured.
Reporting by Cachella Smith.
The victims included 10 women, 10 men, and a young girl, many of whom were from the same family, while another 20 passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries, with five in critical condition. Four individuals later succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. Although the bus was meant for secondary school students, there were no students aboard at the time, as it was repurposed for funeral transportation.
The prelude to this heart-wrenching incident was a burial ceremony in Nyahera, with the bus traveling to Nyakach, a distance of approximately 62 kilometers (38.5 miles). In response to the tragedy, Kenya’s Ministry of Health called for an urgent blood donation drive to assist the survivors and extended heartfelt condolences to those affected by this painful loss. The Ministry also emphasized the need for caution among motorists, especially given the rising incidents of deadly road mishaps.
Kenyan President William Ruto took to social media platform X to demand swift action against those deemed responsible for negligence that contributed to the crash, urging authorities to address traffic violations seriously to bolster road safety across the country.
The National Transport and Safety Authority of Kenya will participate in the investigation into the crash's causes. This tragic accident follows a series of calamities in the country’s transportation sector, including recent incidents where six people died in a medical charity aircraft crash in Nairobi and another nine fatalities resulting from a bus colliding with a train in Naivasha.
Kenya has seen a significant rise in road fatalities over recent years, with a spike of over 20% recorded between 2020 and 2021. The grim statistics revealed that in 2021 alone, over 4,500 people lost their lives in road accidents, with more than 16,000 injured.
Reporting by Cachella Smith.
