Makueni County has waived hospital, mortuary and postmortem charges for victims of Sunday's crash at Kanga, near Mtito Andei, in which a church bus collided with a lorry on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, killing more than 20 people.

Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili announced the waiver on Monday, 26 October 2026, when she visited survivors receiving treatment at Makindu Sub-County Hospital. She said the decision followed the intervention of Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr, and was intended to ease the financial burden on families already dealing with the loss or injury of loved ones.

Ten survivors admitted

Dr Romeo Wahome, the emergency physician leading the hospital's response team, said the facility had received 20 victims from the crash scene.

"We received 20 victims at Makindu Sub-County Hospital, 10 of whom were admitted for further treatment," Dr Wahome said.

One of the patients was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, while three others were referred to other hospitals at their families' preference. Some of those admitted underwent surgery, and the hospital said none of the patients it received had died.

Mulili, who was accompanied by County Chief Officer for Health Dr Harvey Mulei, praised the medical staff for their response.

"I want to thank the entire hospital fraternity for attending to the accident victims promptly," she said.

Death toll

The accident happened on Sunday morning in the Kanga area of Kambu Sub-County. The bus, which belonged to the Power of the Word Church International in Mombasa, collided with a truck. The Makueni Governor's press office and the Kenya News Agency put the number of people who died at the scene at 23, comprising 10 men, 12 women and a boy. Other reports have since put the toll at 24 after another victim died in hospital.

The bodies were taken to the Mtito Andei Sub-County Hospital mortuary, where families have been arriving to identify relatives. Medical staff had said some victims were difficult to identify because documents and belongings were lost in the wreckage.

Calls to fix the highway

The deputy governor used the visit to renew calls on the national government to expand the Nairobi-Mombasa road, one of the country's busiest and deadliest transport corridors, into a dual carriageway. She also called for a dedicated trauma centre along the highway so that crash victims can get specialised care quickly, with some reports saying she specifically pushed for the Makindu facility to be upgraded for that role.

Her calls echo demands made after the crash by the Motorists Association of Kenya, which has urged the separation of trucks and buses and the dualling of the highway, and by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), which has asked the government to treat road crashes as a national disaster. Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has announced tighter oversight of commercial drivers.

Survivors' accounts have also raised questions about driver fatigue, with some telling the Nation that the driver appeared too tired for the return journey. Police investigations into the cause of the collision are continuing.

For families of the injured, the county's waiver removes at least one worry. After mass-casualty accidents, relatives often have to raise money to clear hospital and mortuary bills before patients are discharged or bodies released for burial.

Photos: The Star (Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili visits survivors at Makindu Sub-County Hospital); The Standard (wreckage at the Kanga crash scene)