Six people were killed in the early hours of Saturday, October 31, when a heavy truck smashed into a 14-seater matatu on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway in Uasin Gishu County, adding to a grim week on Kenya's roads.

Police said the matatu driver and five female passengers died at the scene. Several other passengers were pulled from the wreckage and rushed to hospitals in Uasin Gishu, where they are receiving treatment. Their number and condition had not been made public by Saturday morning.

How the crash happened

According to a police account reported by The Star, a Mercedes-Benz Actros truck heading towards Eldoret swerved to the right as its driver tried to avoid a vehicle ahead. The truck first hit a Toyota Succeed before slamming into a Toyota Hiace matatu belonging to North Rift Sacco, which was carrying about ten passengers. Both the matatu and the saloon car were thrown into a ditch on the right side of the road.

Kenyans.co.ke, citing preliminary reports, placed the crash at about 12.20am in the Timboroa stretch of the highway and described the heavy vehicle as a trailer loaded with ballast. Images from the scene showed the matatu with its windscreen shattered, windows broken and seats mangled.

Emergency responders and traffic police arrived shortly after the collision to help the injured. The six bodies were taken to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary in Eldoret pending post-mortem examinations, and police said the wreckage would be towed to Burnt Forest Police Station for inspection.

Investigations under way

Police have opened investigations into the cause of the crash. Officers said the identities of the five passengers who died were yet to be established and that families would be notified once identification is complete.

The Nakuru-Eldoret highway is one of the busiest routes in the country, carrying heavy cargo traffic to western Kenya and the border with Uganda alongside passenger vehicles. Its night-time stretches through the highlands around Timboroa and Burnt Forest have long been flagged as dangerous because of fog, sharp bends and speeding trucks.

A rising death toll

The crash comes days after the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) called for road accidents to be declared a national disaster. The authority says crashes kill more than 5,000 people every year and cause about 20,000 reported incidents, and argues that a disaster declaration would unlock more money and better-coordinated enforcement.

Officials blame most crashes on human error, including reckless overtaking, speeding and drunk driving, as well as mechanical failures such as worn tyres and faulty brakes. Potholes, poor signage and inadequate lighting make night travel even riskier.

On Thursday night, a Forward Sacco matatu overturned at Umoja on Kangundo Road in Nairobi, killing one person and injuring several others. Last week, 23 people died in a crash on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.

Motorists using the Nakuru-Eldoret road have been urged to drive cautiously, especially at night, as police and NTSA step up checks ahead of the busy festive season.

Photos: Kenyans.co.ke (Rono); The Star (file). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.