10 dead, six injured in Homa Bay matatu-lorry road crash after wedding trip
The victims had attended a church wedding in Kakamega County and were headed to Nyamira County when the accident occurred at around 8:00 pm on Sunday near Chabera Trading Centre in Rachuonyo East Sub-County.
A routine return from a wedding turned tragic for a family after a matatu they were travelling in collided with a lorry along the Sondu–Oyugis Road in Homa Bay County, leaving 10 people dead and six others injured.
The victims had attended a church wedding in Kakamega County and were headed to Nyamira County when the accident occurred at around 8:00 pm on Sunday near Chabera Trading Centre in Rachuonyo East Sub-County.
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“The accident happened when a Nissan matatu they were travelling in collided head-on with a lorry coming from Oyugis towards Katito. The lorry lost control and strayed into the matatu’s lane, making it impossible for the driver to avoid the collision,” Kodumo East Sub-location Assistant Chief Dennis Abong’o said.
The fatalities included six women and four men, among them the matatu driver, who died on the spot. The injured were rushed to Rachuonyo South Sub-county Hospital in Oyugis Town, while the bodies were moved to the hospital mortuary. Both the matatu and the lorry were later towed to Othoro Police Station.
Rachuonyo East Sub-county Police Commander Laban Omolo confirmed the accident and said the lorry driver fled the scene. He urged motorists to exercise caution on the roads, especially during the festive season.
Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga extended condolences to the bereaved families and assured support for the injured.
“I have directed all county emergency services to coordinate with national authorities for rescue operations and to provide full support to the injured and bereaved families. A thorough investigation into the cause is underway,” she said.
She also urged road users to exercise extreme caution.
The Chabera crash comes amid a worrying surge in fatal road accidents nationwide. On Saturday night, December 13, eight people died in Nyamira County after a matatu collided with a trailer. In another incident early that day, former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo died in a separate head-on collision along the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway.
According to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), 4,458 people had died in road accidents as of early December 2025, surpassing the 4,311 deaths recorded in 2024.
NTSA attributed most accidents to unsafe road behaviour, including overspeeding, driver fatigue, drunk driving, dangerous overtaking, and lane indiscipline. Pedestrians remain the most vulnerable road users, followed by motorcyclists and their passengers.
The authority estimates that road crashes cost the country between three per cent and five per cent of its gross domestic product annually and urged motorists to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy and adhere strictly to traffic rules.
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