Police: 13 killed, 30 injured in separate road accidents Friday

A photo of a past road accident in Mombasa that left 14 people nursing injuries.

At least 13 people were killed in separate road accidents reported across the country on Friday, police have said.

Some 30 others sustained serious injuries in the incidents.

Those who died include five motorcycle riders, two pillion passengers, two pedestrians, two passengers, a driver, and a pedal cyclist.

Among the injured were 13 riders, eight passengers, four pillion passengers, three drivers, a pedestrian, and a pedal cyclist.

A total of 29 accidents were reported on Friday, June 27 alone.

Traffic Commandant Fredrick Ochieng described the incidents as tragic and confirmed that investigations were underway.

In one of the accidents, two passengers on board a Toyota Hilux pickup were killed following a head-on collision with a lorry along Mombasa Highway in the Sultan Hamud area.

Police said the driver of the pickup was admitted to hospital in serious condition following the Friday morning crash.

In Meru county, along the Nkubu-Kionyo road at Kathithindene area, a rider died after a collision with another motorcyclist.

In Vihiga, at Lunyerere area along the Kakamega–Kisumu road, a three-year-old child died after a matatu suffered a tyre burst and landed in a ditch.

Six other passengers were injured in the same accident. In Mulaha area along the Siaya–Nyadorera Road, a pedal cyclist died in a crash involving a car and a motorcyclist.

Along the Bomet–Narok highway in the Ololunga area, a pedestrian was hit and killed by a speeding car.

On Thika Highway, the driver of a saloon car died on the spot after his vehicle veered off the road and plunged into a ditch.

In Maungu, Voi, a passenger in a fuel tanker died in a head-on collision involving the tanker and a lorry.

Three other passengers were injured in the crash. Officials say reckless overtaking, speeding, and drunk driving remain among the leading causes of road accidents across the country, continuing to claim lives despite sustained public safety campaigns by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).

Mechanical failures caused by poorly maintained vehicles—such as worn tyres and faulty brakes—have also been identified as significant contributors to the rising number of crashes.

In addition to driver negligence, poor road conditions, including potholes, unclear signage, and inadequate lighting, continue to make travel hazardous, particularly at night.