A catastrophic bus crash occurred on the Kisumu-Kakamega Highway in western Kenya, resulting in the loss of 25 lives, including men, women, and a young girl. Local officials report that the vehicle, which had been repurposed for funeral transportation, lost control and veered off the road into a ditch on Friday afternoon. The victims were returning from a burial in Nyahera and were reportedly all from the same family.
The accident claimed the lives of 10 women, 10 men, and one girl on-site, while 20 others sustained injuries—five of whom were in critical condition. Four additional casualties occurred later in hospitals, escalating the tragedy.
The Ministry of Health has responded to this disaster by organizing an emergency blood donation drive to support the injured, while also extending its deepest condolences to the grieving families. Authorities have yet to determine the precise cause of the accident, but there are calls for improved road safety measures in the wake of this incident.
In a statement on social media, Kenyan President William Ruto urged law enforcement to investigate negligence and violations related to the accident thoroughly, advocates for a national focus on road safety amid increasing fatal road incidents. This recent disaster follows other recent tragedies, including a light aircraft crash earlier in the week and a bus-train collision that resulted in additional fatalities.
Kenya's road safety statistics are concerning; from 2020 to 2021, road fatalities rose significantly, marking a worrying trend with over 4,500 lives lost and more than 16,000 injured in 2021 alone.
This latest accident compounds the urgent need for action to improve the safety of public transportation in the region.
