TAITA TAVETA, Kenya — Six people have died following a head-on collision involving a Chania Executive bus and a trailer along the busy Nairobi–Mombasa highway in the Manyatta area of Taita Taveta County.
Preliminary reports indicate that the bus driver was attempting to overtake when the truck rammed into the bus, wrecking its right side before the vehicle veered off the highway.
The impact left the bus extensively damaged, with emergency responders forced to extract victims from the wreckage.
Several other passengers sustained injuries and were rushed to Moi County Referral Hospital Voi for treatment, according to local authorities.
The Nairobi–Mombasa highway is one of Kenya’s busiest transport arteries, linking the capital, Nairobi, to the port city of Mombasa.
The route is a critical commercial corridor but has long been associated with fatal road crashes, often attributed to speeding, unsafe overtaking, driver fatigue and heavy trailer traffic.
Data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) show that thousands of fatalities are recorded annually on Kenyan roads, with highways carrying heavy commercial traffic accounting for a significant proportion of deaths and serious injuries.
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Road safety experts have repeatedly called for stricter enforcement of overtaking rules, installation of speed-calming measures in accident-prone zones, and enhanced driver training for long-distance public service vehicle operators.
Police officers from the Taita Taveta Traffic Department have launched investigations to establish the exact sequence of events leading to the crash, including whether speed or mechanical failure may have contributed to the collision.
The bodies of the deceased have been moved to the mortuary pending identification and post-mortem examinations.
The latest tragedy adds to growing concerns over road safety standards along major Kenyan highways, particularly on stretches where high-speed overtaking manoeuvres intersect with heavy cargo transport.
