Eight dead, including two children, in Nyamira road crash involving matatu and trailer

The wreckage of the Nissan matatu involved in the Nyamira road crash. (Photo: Courtesy)

By Lucy Mumbi
Sunday, December 14, 2025

Police said the matatu, ferrying passengers from Nairobi, collided head-on with a trailer at around 8:00 pm after the trailer driver failed to keep to his lane.

At least eight people, including two children under the age of two, died on Saturday night in a crash at Bw’arani-Tombe along the Kericho-Nyamira road.

The incident involved a Nissan matatu and a trailer, leaving several survivors fighting for their lives in the hospital.

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Police said the matatu, ferrying passengers from Nairobi, collided head-on with a trailer at around 8:00 pm after the trailer driver failed to keep to his lane. Five victims died on the spot, while three others succumbed to injuries at Nyamira County Referral Hospital.

“Eight people died in the accident. Seven others survived and were rushed to the county hospital, where four are currently fighting for their lives in the Intensive Care Unit,” Nyamira County Director of Medical Services Jared Oeba said.

A police report described the crash scene as chaotic.

“The public turned hostile, siphoning fuel from the trailer and looting both vehicles. Officers had to fire shots in the air to disperse the crowd,” a police report read.

Among the deceased were members of the same family preparing to attend the burial of a relative.

Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo visited the survivors at the county hospital and later condoled with families at the mortuary.

Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo who visited several survivors at Nyamira County Referral Hospital on December 14, 2025. (Photo: Facebook/Governor Amos Nyaribo)

“They survived but sustained serious head injuries that require the attention of a neurosurgeon. We have formed a committee to support the affected families, including assisting with burial arrangements,” Nyaribo said.

Residents who described the road as a black spot called on the government to put measures in place to prevent further accidents.

Police said the trailer, registration KBE 701E, and the Nissan matatu, KCF 068V, belonging to Quarser Sacco, are now at Nyamira Police Station pending inspection. Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.

The accident comes amid rising road fatalities across Kenya. On Saturday alone, police reported more than 20 deaths in separate accidents nationwide, including 17 passengers, six pedestrians, three riders, and two drivers. Another 36 people were injured, including passengers, riders, pillion passengers, pedestrians and drivers.

According to National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) data, 4,458 people have died on Kenyan roads between January and early December 2025, surpassing last year’s figure of 4,311. Pedestrians accounted for the largest number of fatalities at 1,685, followed by 723 passengers, 403 drivers, and 1,148 motorcyclists, with 432 pillion passengers also killed.

The Authority has raised concerns over speeding, overloading, and poor compliance with safety regulations, particularly among public service vehicles and motorcycles.