A fatal accident occurred on Monday morning along the Murang’a-Nairobi road, claiming the lives of three people and leaving 24 others seriously injured. The accident involved two public service vehicles (PSVs) and took place in the Wanjii area at approximately 6:20 a.m. Preliminary investigations revealed that a matatu from Nakonns Sacco, heading towards Murang’a, collided with another matatu from Murang’a Shuttle Sacco. The impact caused the Nakonns matatu to lose control and plunge into River Maragua.
Two women passengers died on the spot, while a male passenger succumbed to his injuries before reaching the hospital. The remaining 24 passengers, who were on both vehicles, sustained severe injuries and were rushed to Murang’a Level 5 hospital for treatment. The severity of the injuries, particularly among those traveling in the Nakonns Sacco matatu, is still under evaluation as authorities continue to monitor their condition.
Kennedy Muthamia, the Murang’a North Traffic Base Commander, explained that the crash occurred when the driver of the Nakonns matatu lost control while attempting to navigate a bend in the road, likely due to speeding. The vehicle then struck the Murang’a Shuttle matatu, causing it to overturn. The shuttle was en route to Nairobi, while the Nakonns vehicle was traveling to Othaya in Nyeri.
Eyewitnesses, including a boda boda operator named Jefferson Murimi, cited overspeeding as the primary cause of the incident. He urged the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to consider installing speed bumps at the corner, which could help reduce accidents in the area.
Esther Njeri, a stage attendant at the Murang’a Shuttle stage, confirmed that their vehicle had departed with 14 passengers on board and was struck by the speeding matatu. She called on the government to enforce the installation of speed governors in all PSVs, a measure that could help mitigate such tragic accidents in the future.
