Five Killed in Head-On Collision Along Nakuru-Naivasha Highway

NAKURU — Five people have died following a tragic road accident at Kikopey in Gilgil, Nakuru County, after a saloon car collided head-on with an Easy Coach bus along the Nakuru-Naivasha highway.

The accident occurred on Sunday night when the private vehicle, which was carrying six people, collided with the bus as the two vehicles travelled in opposite directions.

Gilgil Sub-County Police Commander Winstone Mwakio confirmed the incident, saying the Easy Coach bus was heading towards Nakuru while the saloon car was travelling towards Nairobi.

Five occupants of the private vehicle died in the crash, while another person sustained serious injuries and was taken to Nakuru Level 5 Hospital for treatment.

The bodies of those who died were moved to PNN Funeral Home as police began investigations into the circumstances surrounding the collision.

Family Trip Ends in Tragedy

The occupants of the saloon car included members of the same family who were returning to Nairobi from Kisumu, where they had travelled for their mother's burial a week earlier.

Family member James Wegesa said his wife and brother were among those travelling in the vehicle. His wife was accompanied by their three-year-old daughter, while his brother-in-law was travelling with his wife and child. Another relative was also in the vehicle.

Wegesa said he was devastated after losing his immediate family in the crash.

“I just had a small family, my wife and daughter. I am left alone,” he said in Nakuru.

Wegesa, who is a driver by profession, expressed frustration over what he believed was careless driving on the busy highway.

“My family was climbing uphill, then the bus was going down on the climbing lane. Someone who was not careful has done this to me,” he said.

He recalled calling his wife after the incident, only for a police officer to answer the phone and ask him to report to the police station.

Police Probe Circumstances of Crash

Preliminary reports indicate that the Easy Coach bus may have been overtaking other vehicles shortly before the collision. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash and have yet to establish responsibility.

The Nakuru-Naivasha highway is one of the region's busiest transport corridors and has previously recorded serious crashes involving heavy commercial vehicles and private cars.

Authorities continue to urge motorists to exercise caution, particularly when overtaking on busy highways and approaching uphill sections where visibility and road space can be limited.

The investigation is expected to establish how the collision occurred and whether any traffic offences contributed to the fatal crash.