At least six people lost their lives on the morning of
Saturday after a private car was involved in a head-on collision in the Soy
Sambu area of Gilgil, along the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway.
The victims were travelling in a saloon car when it collided
with an oncoming truck at about 4 a.m., according to police.
Gilgil police boss, Winston Mwakio, said preliminary
investigations indicate the saloon driver attempted to overtake another vehicle
when he rammed into the truck.
The impact killed all
six occupants in the saloon car on the spot.
The wreckage of both vehicles was towed to Gilgil Police
Station, while the bodies were taken to Gilgil Sub-County Hospital Mortuary
pending identification by family members.
This incident brings to ten the number of people killed on
Friday evening and Saturday morning in separate accidents along the region’s
highways.
Four others died in
separate crashes on Friday, police said.
These included three pedestrians and a driver; seven people
were injured—including two passengers, two pillion passengers, a driver, a
rider and a pedestrian.
The injured remain in hospital and police investigations
continue.
The deadly crash coincides with alarming national statistics
from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) showing a serious
road-safety challenge.
Between January 1 and March 31, 2025, NTSA data recorded
1,139 fatalities from road crashes, a slight drop from the 1,166 deaths in the
same period in 2024.
However, between June 2024 and March 2025, the authority
reported 3,581 deaths, a 10 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
Pedestrians remain the most vulnerable road users,
accounting for the highest number of deaths, followed closely by motorcyclists.
In the first quarter of 2025 alone, pedestrians accounted
for 420 fatalities, while motorcyclist deaths rose to 301.
Police and road-safety officials say unsafe overtaking,
excessive speed, drunk driving, tyre bursts and poorly maintained vehicles
remain major contributors to the carnage.
“Head-on collisions due to improper overtaking or vehicles
losing control continue to claim lives on our roads,” NTSA reported.
The crash in Gilgil highlights the continuing risks on
Kenya’s highways. Police urged motorists to adhere to traffic rules.
“This kind of
overtaking in the early hours and on a busy national highway is recklessly
dangerous,” said Mwakio, noting the investigation is ongoing.
In parallel, Kenya Railways and transport agencies have
documented other deadly incidents, such as pedestrians and motorists hit on
railway crossings and poorly lit roads.
The NTSA says around Sh450 billion is lost annually in
socio-economic costs due to road crashes.
With the festive season approaching—a time of increased
travel—the authorities have intensified efforts to prevent further fatalities.
Multi-agency teams are now conducting safety audits on
roads, enforcing breathalyser checks, and public-education campaigns targeting
drivers, motorcyclists and pedestrians.
