Six killed as truck, matatu and car collide on Kenya’s Eldoret–Nakuru highway
Six people were killed and several others were injured when a truck, a minibus taxi known as a matatu, and a car collided on the Eldoret–Nakuru highway in western Kenya at about 12:20am on Saturday, 31 October. The crash happened at Kondoo, in the Timboroa area of Uasin Gishu County.
Police said the truck, a Mercedes-Benz Actros carrying ballast and travelling from Nakuru towards Eldoret, swerved to avoid another vehicle ahead of it. It hit a Toyota Succeed car first, then crashed head-on into the matatu, which belonged to North Rift Sacco and was carrying 10 passengers from Eldoret towards Nakuru. The force of the impact sent both the matatu and the car into a ditch beside the road.
Police identified the dead as the matatu driver, Shabaan Hassan Wanga, and five women passengers. The injured were taken to hospitals in Uasin Gishu County, but police had not confirmed the exact number of injured people by the time of reporting. The bodies of the dead were taken to the mortuary at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret. Uasin Gishu County Police Commander Wilberforce Sicharani confirmed the crash and urged motorists to take care on the roads.
The crash came a week after more than 20 people died in a crash on the Nairobi–Mombasa highway on 25 October, adding to a run of deadly accidents on Kenya’s main roads.
Why it matters
Road crashes are a repeated cause of death in Kenya, and the main highways between the country’s big cities are among the most dangerous stretches. Officials have named speeding, reckless overtaking and drunk driving among the leading causes of crashes, along with worn tyres, faulty brakes, poor road surfaces and limited lighting. Night travel adds to the risk, because drivers have less time to react when something goes wrong ahead of them.
What happens next
Police have opened an investigation into the crash, and the wreckage was to be towed to Burnt Forest Police Station for inspection. Postmortem examinations were due to be carried out, and the identities of the other victims had still to be confirmed. Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority has continued running road-safety awareness campaigns, urging drivers to observe traffic rules.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://newsunplug.co.ke/six-killed-several-injured-in-crash-along-eldoret-nakuru-highway/ (NewsUnplug Kenya, 1 November 2026)
- https://kenyadaily.online/six-killed-in-three-vehicle-crash-involving-north-rift-sacco-matatu-along-nakuru-eldoret-highway/ (Kenya Daily Online, 31 October 2026)
- https://www.hivileo.co.ke/six-feared-dead-as-trailer-collides-head-on-with-matatu-along-eldoret-nakuru-highway (Hivileo, 31 October 2026)
- https://www.pulse.co.ke/story/5-dead-several-injured-as-matatu-collides-with-trailer-along-the-nakuru-eldoret-highway-2026103106015102030 (Pulse Kenya, 31 October 2026)
