Out of the 16 killed nine were students while the other seven were passengers in the matatu.
The midday accident occurred after the driver of the bus that had over 60 students lost control and hit a Kukena Sacco matatu near Naivasha town.
Over 60 people were seriously injured and taken to Naivasha sub-county hospital before some were later transferred to Nakuru for specialised treatment.
Following the accident, learning at the university has been suspended.
In a memo by the Vice Chancellor Mohamed Rajab, learning will resume on Monday.
The accident occurred after the bus that was heading to Nakuru from Nairobi developed some mechanical breakdown before hitting the matatu that was also headed in the same direction.
Both vehicles landed into a ditch trapping the occupants before members of the public came to their rescue while others died at the scene.
According to Naivasha OCPD Samuel Waweru, the bus which was full, was ferrying the students to Eldoret for college games when the accident occurred.
Speaking on phone, he said initial investigations indicated that the bus brakes system failed and in the process the bus hit the Nissan matatu that had 14 passengers.
“We have so far lost 16 people to the accident and over 50 are undergoing treatment at the Naivasha sub-county hospital while the bodies have been taken to the local mortuary,” he said.
A witness John Mbogo narrated how the speeding bus missed several cars on the highway by a whisker before hitting the matatu.
He said on impact, the drivers of the two vehicles lost control and landed into a ditch seriously injuring the students and the passengers.
“The bus was moving at high speed and kept hooting before hitting the Nissan matatu and as a result, many people have died,” he said.
Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro has condoled with the family of the bereaved. He has also dispatched a team from his office to Naivasha.
The team is being led by director of delivery unit in his office Fikirini Jacobs who is also a former student leader at Pwani University.
Kilifi North MP Owen Baya who served as dean of students at Pwani University before venturing into politics sent a message of condolences to the students.
Former Lakeview MCA Simon Wanyoike said the section of the road had become a black-spot with six accidents reported in the last two months.
He blamed the recently constructed drainage for the accidents, noting that they had called on KeNHA to cover it but this had fallen on deaf ears.
“The contractor left the drainage open and this has turned out to be the killer point, including today’s incident where we have lost 16 people,” he said.
Another witness Joyce Njeri said only a minor was saved from the Nissan matatu which was full to capacity and on its way to Nakuru.
“The university bus caused the accident after the driver lost control and hit the Nissan matatu then landed into a ditch,” she said.
