NTSA, leaders urge caution as holiday road crash deaths surge

The wreckage of the Mercedes Benz that the late ex-Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo was driving in on December 13, 2025. (Photo: X/ Motorist Association of Kenya)

By Barack Oduor
Monday, December 15, 2025

Ten people were reported dead in a grisly road accident which occurred near Chabera Trading centre in Rachuonyo East, Homa Bay County, while one person lost his life in a crash involving an Easy Coach bus at Salgaa in Nakuru County.

The increasing number of road crashes in the country has worried Kenyans and leaders following the loss of more than 10 people within 24 hours.

Ten people were reported dead in a grisly road accident which occurred near Chabera Trading centre in Rachuonyo East, Homa Bay County, while one person lost his life in a crash involving an Easy Coach bus at Salgaa in Nakuru County.

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All this comes after former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo died early Saturday morning, December 13, 2025, after his car collided with a passenger bus along the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway, with the police saying the accident occurred at around 3 am.

In the Rachuonyo East accident, 10 lost their lives while six others sustained serious injuries in the accident that occurred at about 8.00 pm on Sunday.

The accident occurred when the Nissan matatu they were travelling in collided head-on with a lorry that was travelling from Oyugis towards Katito. The fatalities were six women and four men, including the matatu driver.

Both the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetangu’la, have decried the increasing cases of carnage that are claiming the lives of Kenyans.

In the Rachuonyo East carnage, the Assistant Chief of Kodumo East Sub-location Dennis Abong’o said the accident occurred after the lorry driver lost control and strayed into the matatu’s lane, leading to the head-on collision.

The matatu carried members of a church from the neighbouring Nyamira County who were travelling from Kakamega County, where they had attended a wedding of their members. Rachuonyo East Sub-county Police Commander Laban Omol, who confirmed the accident, said that the driver of the lorry disappeared after the accident.

”I join fellow Kenyans in expressing deep concern over the rising road carnage claiming innocent lives. Late last night, 10 people died along the Kisumu–Chabera Road, just hours after other accidents across the country had claimed nearly twenty lives,” National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said on X.

The Speaker went ahead to caution road users to remain vigilant in a bid to save lives as families travel upcountry for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

NTSA is advising motorists in several of their campaigns across the country to plan their journeys early and also be cautious and observant of traffic rules and road signs to reduce the risk of accidents.

In public safety advisories on their social media platforms, the authority advises motorists that staying in their lane, keeping consistent positioning, and avoiding unnecessary weaving helps improve safety for everyone on the road.

The December holiday period is often marked by heavy traffic and a rise in road accidents, largely due to speeding, reckless driving, and driving under the influence of alcohol.

At least 4,100 people have died on Kenyan roads this year, prompting the NTSA to roll out fresh enforcement measures as the country enters the high-risk festive travel period.

NTSA’s data shows that between January 1 and November 13, 2025, Kenya recorded 21,042 road crash victims, including 4,195 fatalities, a 2.9 per cent increase from 4,077 deaths in the same period last year. Slight injuries rose by 11.4 per cent to 6,959 cases, while serious injuries fell by 2.8 per cent to 8,888 cases.