Tragedy struck in the dead of night as a packed bus slammed head-on into a matatu at Karai, a notorious accident black spot on the busy Nairobi-Nakuru highway, claiming at least nine lives – including two innocent children.
The devastating crash unfolded around 2 a.m. Monday when a Nakuru-to-Nairobi bus collided with an oncoming 14-seater matatu near Kayole Estate, just 10 km from Naivasha town. Eyewitnesses described a scene of chaos: mangled wreckage scattered across the road, screams piercing the darkness, and emergency responders racing against time.
Seven victims, including the two minors, perished instantly. Two more fought for their lives but later died at Naivasha Sub-County Hospital, where dozens of injured passengers – many in critical condition – were rushed for urgent care.
“The bus was overtaking a line of vehicles when it veered into the oncoming matatu,” said James Kabono of the Naivasha Road Safety Association. “This black spot claims lives repeatedly because drivers ignore warnings.”
Police confirmed the opposing directions of travel and launched a probe into the exact cause, suspected to involve reckless overtaking on the dangerous stretch. The wrecks were towed away as traffic snarled for hours.
Karai has long been flagged as a high-risk zone, with repeated safety campaigns falling on deaf ears amid Kenya’s escalating road carnage. This latest horror adds to a grim tally: police report 18 road deaths nationwide between Sunday and Monday morning alone, pushing early 2026 figures to alarming heights.
Just days ago, six died in a trailer-matatu smash at Kikopey in Gilgil on the same highway. Another six perished on January 2 along Mombasa Road near Konza.
Road safety authorities renewed urgent pleas for caution as families mourn and survivors battle trauma. “Enough is enough,” one grieving relative told reporters outside the hospital. “When will these killer roads be fixed?”
As of the time of filing this report, the death toll from the head-on collision between a bus and a matatu at Karai along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway stands at 9, including two minors. Seven people (among them the two children) died at the scene around 2 a.m., while two more succumbed to injuries in hospital. Several passengers remain injured and are receiving treatment at Naivasha District Hospital. Some unconfirmed reports suggest the toll could have risen to 10, but major sources (including The Star, Standard Media, and Capital FM) consistently report 9 confirmed fatalities. Investigations are ongoing, with no further official updates released so far.
