Six Killed, Dozens Injured in Midnight Bus-Truck Collision on Nairobi-Mombasa Highway
Motorists experienced significant delays as authorities diverted traffic while heavy recovery equipment cleared the wreckage from the road.
Scene of the fatal bus crash along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway in Machakos County on July 7, 2026. Photo: Courtesy.
By Robert Mutasi
At least six people were killed and dozens of others injured early Tuesday after a public service bus collided head-on with a trailer along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway in Machakos County, police said.
The crash occurred at about 1 a.m. near the Kapiti area, a few kilometers from Konza Technopolis in Athi River Sub-county, prompting a large-scale rescue operation and causing hours of traffic disruption on one of Kenya’s busiest transport corridors.
Kalama Sub-county Police Commander Patrick Gaitirira said the accident involved a passenger bus and two trailers.”This morning we had a fatal road traffic accident that occurred at around 1:00 a.m. It involved three vehicles, two trailers and a bus,” Gaitirira told reporters at the scene after rescue operations had concluded.
According to the police commander, preliminary investigations indicate that one of the trailers attempted to overtake another vehicle, resulting in a head-on collision with the oncoming passenger bus traveling from Nairobi toward Mombasa.
“The trailer was coming from Mombasa to Nairobi and there was a bus heading to Mombasa from Nairobi. When they reached the location of the accident, there was overtaking by one of the trailers. As a result, there was a head-on collision between the trailer and the bus,” he said.
The impact left the front section of the bus extensively damaged, trapping several passengers inside the wreckage.Gaitirira confirmed that six people died at the scene while many others suffered injuries ranging from minor to critical.
“The accident was so serious that six people died on the spot and several others sustained serious and minor injuries,” he said.Emergency responders, police officers and local residents worked for several hours to free passengers trapped inside the mangled bus before transporting the injured to Machakos Level 5 Hospital.
Hospital sources said at least 38 injured passengers had been admitted for treatment by Tuesday morning, although authorities were still verifying the exact number of passengers who had been aboard the bus.
“We are still analysing the number of people who have been taken to hospital,” Gaitirira said.The bodies of the six victims were removed from the wreckage and taken to the Machakos Level 5 Hospital mortuary pending identification and postmortem examinations.
Police from Kyumbi and Muumandu police stations secured the accident scene, coordinated rescue efforts and managed traffic as long queues of vehicles built up along the highway.
Motorists experienced significant delays as authorities diverted traffic while heavy recovery equipment cleared the wreckage from the road.
The Nairobi-Mombasa Highway is Kenya’s busiest transport corridor, linking the Port of Mombasa with Nairobi and neighboring countries. The route carries thousands of commercial trucks, buses and private vehicles daily and has recorded numerous fatal crashes over the years.
Data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) shows that road traffic crashes remain a leading cause of death in Kenya, with speeding, dangerous overtaking, driver fatigue and failure to observe traffic rules among the primary causes of fatal accidents.
Gaitirira urged motorists to exercise caution, particularly when overtaking on highways.”You can look at the distance and see if you can be able to overtake. Take your time so that you reach your destination safely,” he said.
The latest tragedy comes only days after another deadly accident on the same highway in the Mukaa area of Makueni County, where 10 people were killed after a passenger bus collided with a trailer.
Several others were injured in that crash, renewing concerns over road safety along the strategic corridor.Road safety experts have repeatedly called for stricter enforcement of traffic laws, regular inspection of commercial vehicles and greater compliance with speed limits to reduce the rising number of fatal crashes.
By Tuesday afternoon, police had launched investigations to establish the full circumstances surrounding the Kapiti collision, while rescue officials continued accounting for all passengers who had been traveling aboard the bus.
Authorities also appealed to motorists to remain vigilant and avoid risky overtaking maneuvers, particularly at night when visibility is reduced.
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