MAKUENI, Kenya, October 26, 2026: At least 24 people have died and another 24 have been injured after a passenger bus collided with a cement truck on Kenya’s Nairobi-Mombasa Highway, prompting renewed concerns over road safety along one of the country’s busiest transport routes.
The fatal collision occurred on Sunday morning, October 25, near Kanga, close to Mtito Andei in Makueni County. The bus was carrying church members returning to Mombasa after attending their pastor’s funeral in western Kenya, according to reports from the Associated Press and other news organisations.
Emergency responders transported injured passengers to nearby hospitals, while police began investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.
What Happened in the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway Accident?
The bus belonged to Power of the Word Church International in Mombasa. It collided with a truck transporting cement at approximately 7:45 a.m., according to reports.
Accounts of how the collision happened differ. Some passengers said the truck struck the bus, causing it to overturn. Preliminary information cited by Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) suggested that improper overtaking may have contributed to a head-on collision.
Authorities have yet to establish the definitive cause. Investigators are expected to examine witness accounts and other available evidence to reconstruct the events leading to the crash.
Survivors and Families Face Uncertainty
Survivors described a chaotic scene as passengers called for help following the collision. Some families were left anxiously searching for relatives who had been travelling on the bus.
Violet Mwandonyi, a survivor, told the Associated Press that she did not know what had happened to her two children, who were also aboard the vehicle.
Medical teams treated the injured at nearby facilities, with many taken to Mtito Andei hospital. The scale of the casualties has placed renewed attention on emergency response and support for affected families.
Government Promises Stronger Road Safety Measures
The crash occurred just over three weeks after another collision on the same highway killed 17 people near Salama on October 3.
Following the latest tragedy, President William Ruto expressed condolences to bereaved families and ordered inspections of public service vehicles. Transport officials also pledged stronger enforcement against speeding and dangerous overtaking, alongside improved driver training and targeted safety improvements on high-risk road sections.
The Nairobi-Mombasa Highway serves passenger buses, private vehicles and commercial trucks travelling between Kenya’s capital and its coastal transport hub. Repeated fatal collisions have intensified calls for stronger enforcement and safer road infrastructure.