Several people have been seriously injured after a driver of a water bowser lost control and rammed into a passenger matatu, triggering a five-vehicle pile-up along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway in Athi River, Machakos County.
The accident occurred on Monday evening in the Sabaki area, a few metres from the Nairobi-Namanga interchange, according to Athi River South Sub-County Police Commander Carolyne Jerop.
Jerop said five vehicles were involved in the crash, but no fatalities had been reported.
“It involved five vehicles. A water bowser lost control and that's what caused the accident. No life was lost, but serious injuries,” Jerop said.
Eyewitnesses told The Star that the lorry suffered brake failure before crashing into a passenger matatu, which then rammed into three other vehicles.
The collision also injured several people who were conducting businesses along the highway, according to one eyewitness.
“The accident led to serious injuries to several people, some of whom were doing their businesses along the highway,” the eyewitness told The Star.
The incident was reported to Athi River Police Station as a serious road traffic accident. Officers responded to the scene, documented the incident and cleared the road.
The injured were rushed to a local hospital, while the wreckage was towed to Athi River Police Station pending inspection and further action.
Police have launched investigations into the crash.
The accident occurred barely a day after 24 people died in a head-on collision involving a bus and a lorry along the same highway in the Kanga area, past Mtito Andei.
The Sunday morning crash happened between 7 am and 8 am, according to Mtito Andei Sub-County Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Kevin Wamalwa.
Makueni County Commissioner Abdullahi Khalif confirmed the deaths, saying several other passengers had sustained injuries.
The bus was reportedly carrying passengers returning from a burial ceremony when it collided head-on with the lorry.
The injured were taken to Mtito Andei Sub-County Hospital for treatment, while the bodies of those who died were moved to the facility's mortuary.
Wamalwa said some of the victims died while receiving treatment as medical staff attended to survivors.
“It is a serious accident. We are attending to those who have survived,” he told reporters.
The cause of Sunday's crash had not been established by the time of publication.
The latest incidents have renewed concerns about road safety along the busy Nairobi-Mombasa highway, where 17 people were killed in a multiple-vehicle crash two weeks ago.
The crashes come as the National Police Service and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) intensify a nationwide road safety awareness campaign ahead of the December festive season.
The campaign seeks to reduce accidents during a period when millions of Kenyans travel to their rural homes and holiday destinations to celebrate Christmas with family and friends.
Authorities have warned that speeding, reckless driving, dangerous overtaking and inadequate rest can increase the risk of crashes, particularly when drivers make repeated trips to meet rising transport demand.
Official figures cited in the campaign indicate that more than 415 people died in road traffic crashes during the 2025 festive season, a 23 per cent increase compared with the 2024 holiday period.
Police and NTSA are seeking to reverse the trend through public awareness initiatives and stricter enforcement of road safety rules.
Motorists have repeatedly been urged to observe speed limits, avoid dangerous overtaking, ensure their vehicles are roadworthy and get sufficient rest before embarking on long journeys.
Poor vehicle maintenance, including faulty brakes and worn tyres, has also been identified as a contributor to road crashes, alongside hazardous road conditions such as potholes, confusing signage and inadequate lighting.
With travel volumes expected to rise in the coming weeks, the latest crashes have heightened concerns over the safety of passengers and other road users along one of Kenya's busiest transport corridors.
