Fourteen members of the same family lost their lives in a horrific road accident at Kikopey along the Nakuru–Nairobi highway on Sunday, September 28. Four others remain in hospital with serious injuries.

CCTV Footage Raises Questions

Preliminary investigations, backed by CCTV footage, suggest the driver of the ill-fated matatu may have been drowsy or fatigued. The footage shows the vehicle veering into the opposite lane without any attempt to avoid the oncoming truck.

Stephen Githinji, a motorist who was driving behind the matatu, described the terrifying moment.

“The road was very busy, and the vehicles were following each other closely. All of a sudden, the matatu entered into the opposite lane to overtake and never went back when it saw an oncoming truck,” Githinji told reporters.

He added that his car was grazed by the truck as it swerved off the road. “I drove off the road to avoid being directly struck by the truck,” he said.

Survivors and Witness Accounts

The truck driver, identified as Juakali Vahavuka, sustained minor injuries. He said the collision was unavoidable.

“The matatu was too close and moving at high speed for me to avoid a head-on crash. That stretch of the road was also too narrow to get away,” he explained.

A relative of the deceased driver, Elijah Mburu, revealed that fatigue may have played a role. “We sat into the early hours of Sunday morning chatting and joking. He only slept for an hour or two before the long journey,” the family member said.

Family Tragedy

The matatu, belonging to Alsopps Sacco and usually operating the Nairobi–Dandora–Murang’a route, was ferrying the family to Solai, Rongai Sub-County in Nakuru for a gathering.

Thirteen relatives died at the scene, while a 14th succumbed to injuries on Monday, September 29, at St. Joseph Hospital in Gilgil. Four survivors remain hospitalised in Nakuru, reported to be in stable condition.

Call for Safer Roads

The accident adds to a troubling string of road fatalities in Kenya, with fatigue, reckless driving, and speeding often cited as major causes. Authorities are expected to give a full report once investigations conclude.