Dark Christmas: Families mourn as 25 killed in multiple road accidents

Wreckage of a GK vehicle that killed two officers in Bungoma. [Mary Imenza, Standard]

It is a dark Christmas for a family in Kolikho village after it lost three members in a road accident in Mukhonje area, along the busy Webuye-Eldoret Highway, in Kakamega County.

The three are among ten people who perished in two separate accidents in Kakamega and Nakuru counties as families rushed home across the country for the Christmas celebrations.

In Kakamega, a family, led by Brown Wafula, an uncle to the deceased, said the three were travelling from Meru County, where they had gone to bury their grandmother.

Wafula said the three were travelling to Webuye for Christmas celebrations.

"We have been dealt a big blow because we were expecting these young people for the festivity. It is so sad to lose such a young soul," said Wafula.

Wafula said they received the devastating news on Thursday morning after the three failed to arrive at home as expected on Wednesday night.

"They had gone to bury their grandmother, and they were coming back ahead of the Christmas celebrations. They failed to arrive as expected, and we thought maybe they were late due to a traffic jam," said Wafula.

He added, "Unfortunately, we received news that there is a horrific accident that has occurred in Lugari, and many people have died, and they have been brought to Webuye Referral Hospital alongside the survivors for identification, and when we visited the hospital, we were shocked to find among the dead were our three children."

The three individuals include a Form Four student who was waiting for his results, a Grade Five student, and a pupil.

Timothy Nyongesa, another family member, urged the government to intervene and dual the Webuye-Eldoret highway to curb the rising road accidents in the region.

"This is a busy road, and it is very narrow. We have many trucks on this road, and we are calling upon the government through the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Davis Chirchir, to dual the busy road to reduce road accidents," said Nyongesa.

He added, "We are calling upon the government and well-wishers to come to our rescue and support this family for a decent burial because the family is poor and it can't afford the entire expenses."

However, Makhonje locals living along the Webuye-Eldoret road led by Paul Simiti said the matatu vehicle heading to Bungoma was speeding before it rammed into a stationary trailer parked beside the road.

"It was around 9.30 pm when the speeding matatu lost control and rammed into the parked trailer, which was loaded with fertiliser," said Simiti.

Simiti said seven people died on the spot, and later on, a boda boda operator collided with a colleague after stealing bags of fertiliser from the scene.

"The boda boda operator had come to steal the fertiliser from the trailer, and when he was taking off, he collided head-on with his colleague and died on the spot," said Simiti.

Simiti called on the government to mark the road with traffic signs, erect bumps and dual the busy narrow road.

"We want the government to move with speed and dual this road because it is a busy and narrow road, and it is claiming many of our people. Our road users, especially drivers, should adhere to traffic rules, and police should be vigilant and enforce the traffic rules," said Simiti.

Matete OCPD Anthony Okout confirmed the incident, stating that the matatu had carried 18 passengers and was speeding.

"The first mistake was that the matatu was carrying excess; the second one was that it was overspending before it rammed into the stationary truck," said Okout.

The OCPD added that seven people died on the spot – six men and a female – and later on a boda boda operator who collided head-on with his colleague after stealing fertiliser.

"We have lost eight people, and 11 are currently nursing serious injuries and receiving treatment at Webuye Referral Hospital. We have also arrested the driver of the truck, who was on the run, and he is in our custody to help us with investigations," said Okout.

However, according to a report released by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), 25 people have been killed in road accidents since 23rd December 2025 alone.

"Road safety remains a top priority as enforcement actions flag 1,702 safety violations. We regret to confirm that fatal road traffic crashes have been

reported across various parts of the country, including Kakamega, Bungoma, Nakuru, Nyeri, Siaya, Kiambu, Nairobi, Machakos, Narok, Kisii, Turkana, and Uasin Gishu Counties," read the report.

It further states, "Tragically, on 23 December 2025 alone, 16 crashes were recorded, resulting in 25 lives lost. Most of the victims were eight pedestrians, eight passengers, five motorcyclists, three pillion passengers and one driver."

NTSA said it had deployed all available resources and is currently implementing every necessary measure to safeguard lives on roads.

In addition, it said that 42 drivers have been arrested, and 418 vehicles have been impounded.

In Nakuru, two were killed while several others sustained injuries in two separate road accidents that occurred early Tuesday morning along the busy Nakuru–Eldoret Highway in Nakuru County.

The first accident occurred in the Migaa area in Molo Sub-County and involved six vehicles—two matatus and four lorries—heading towards Nakuru.

Nakuru County Police Commander Emmanuel Opuru said the crash involved a lorry that lost control and rammed into five other vehicles.

“The accident claimed the lives of two people—a driver and a passenger. One died on the spot, while the other succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment at a Nakuru hospital,” said Opuru.

He added that 11 passengers sustained injuries and were rushed to various hospitals within Nakuru County for treatment.

The second accident occurred at around 6am in the Sobea area and involved a trailer travelling from Nakuru towards Eldoret.

According to Opuru, the trailer was overtaking several vehicles without due care and, in the process, attempted to avoid a head-on collision, forcing other motorists to veer off the road, leading to the crash.

“One of the drivers sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving treatment at Nakuru County Referral Hospital,” he said.

The police commander urged motorists to exercise caution while using the highway.