At least ten people died in a grisly road accident in the morning hours of Friday, January 3, along the Eldoret-Kitale Highway in the Soy area.
The accident involved a public service vehicle belonging to Great Rift Shuttle and a lorry which collided head-on, leaving the front part of the matatu damaged.
The driver of the matatu was among the casualties who died in the incident that is said to have taken place at around 7 am.
According to Uasin Gishu County Police Commander Benjamin Mwanthi, the accident occurred after the driver of the lorry lost control and rammed into the oncoming matatu.
An accident warning sign on the road.
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Napier Law
Following the collision, some of the passengers were trapped in the wreckage of the matatu with only 3 escaping with injuries.
“The matatu had 12 passengers, and only three children survived,” the police boss confirmed.
The police have since launched investigations into what led to the accident, which has so far claimed the highest number of victims since the beginning of the year 2025.
“We are cautioning our people to be careful on the road and avoid speeding,” the area Police Commander urged motorists.
Eyewitnesses said the vehicles collided on a narrow section of the road a few distance from the Soy Market. The matatu was headed to Eldoret while the truck was on its way back to Kitale Town.
Footage seen by Kenyans.co.ke showed several vehicles, including a private car and a matatu, severely damaged.
Between January and November last year, 4,282 people died on the roads, according to data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
Of this, pedestrians account for 1,637 deaths, followed by motorcyclists at 1,045, passengers at 788, and drivers at 369. At the same time, 372 million passengers and 72 pedal cyclist deaths have been reported as well.
A Traffic police officer attached to Kisumu Central Police Station stops an oncoming vehicle during a crackdown along Nairobi Road on January 28, 2020.
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