Motorists Association call for urgent dualling of Naivasha–Nakuru highway after Jirongo death

The Motorists Association of Kenya (MAK) has recommended urgent dualling of the Naivasha–Nakuru highway, warning that continued delays in upgrading the dangerous road have contributed to preventable fatalities, including the death of former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo.

Jirongo died on Saturday, December 13, after his vehicle collided head-on with a bus near Karai, a stretch that MAK says has seen similar deadly accidents for more than two decades.

The Association has accused the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) of bearing responsibility, citing prolonged institutional negligence on a highway with high traffic and strategic importance. It noted that Jirongo’s death was entirely foreseeable and preventable.

“It is painful and unacceptable that one of our own has lost his life in circumstances that were entirely foreseeable and preventable. Hon. Jirongo died in a head-on collision, a type of crash whose physics are unforgiving and whose survival chances are almost nonexistent,” the association said.

MAK rejected claims that driver error is the main cause of repeated collisions along the route, noting that modern road engineering is designed to reduce the impact of human mistakes through features such as divided carriageways and central barriers.

“These deaths are not accidents in the truest sense of the word; they are the direct outcome of sustained institutional failure. We squarely blame KeNHA for this death,” reads the statement.

The association further argued that delays in dualling the A8 highway have been influenced by efforts to introduce tolling and private financing schemes rather than prioritising safety improvements using public funds already collected from motorists.

MAK highlighted that areas with properly redesigned roads, such as the Kenol–Marua section, have seen a dramatic reduction in head-on collisions.

“The contrast is clear. Where roads have been properly redesigned and divided…the once-frequent head-on collisions at places like Kambiti, Sagana, and Makuyu have virtually disappeared. This proves that deaths like that of Hon. Jirongo are preventable,” reads the statement.

MAK called for immediate action to dual the highway without tolling, warning that continued inaction would result in more avoidable fatalities.

“Hon. Cyrus Jirongo should not have died this way. His death is a tragic reminder that failure to act is itself an action, one with fatal consequences. MAK demands accountability, immediate prioritisation of dualling without tolls, and an end to policies that trade Kenyan lives for profit. Enough is enough,” the association said.

Preliminary police reports indicate that Jirongo was driving towards Western Kenya when his vehicle collided head-on with a bus near Karai. He was pronounced dead at the scene after his car sustained extensive damage.

Several passengers aboard the bus were injured and rushed to hospitals in Naivasha for treatment.

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