Early Saturday morning, a head-on collision on the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway claimed the lives of six people traveling in a private car near the Soy Sambu area of Gilgil.
Police reported that the crash occurred at about 4 a.m. when the saloon car collided with an oncoming truck. Preliminary investigations indicate the driver of the car tried to overtake another vehicle, leading to the fatal impact.
Gilgil police boss Winston Mwakio said the accident was caused by unsafe overtaking. “The driver of the saloon car was trying to overtake when he hit the truck head-on,” he said. “The six occupants were killed instantly.”
The wrecked vehicles were removed to Gilgil Police Station, and the bodies were taken to Gilgil Sub-County Hospital Mortuary, awaiting identification by family members.
This accident raises the total number of people killed on the highways in the region over Friday evening and Saturday morning to ten. Four others died in separate crashes the previous night, including three pedestrians and a driver.
Seven people were injured in these incidents, including two passengers, two pillion passengers, a driver, a rider, and a pedestrian. They are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals, and police continue investigations.
Authorities stressed the need for careful driving and adherence to traffic rules, particularly during early morning hours when visibility is low.
The fatalities occur against a backdrop of growing concern over road safety in Kenya. Data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) shows that 1,139 people died in traffic crashes from January 1 to March 31, 2025, slightly lower than 1,166 deaths in the same period last year.
Between June 2024 and March 2025, the NTSA recorded 3,581 road deaths, a rise of 10 per cent compared to the previous year. Pedestrians remain the most vulnerable road users, followed by motorcyclists.
In the first three months of 2025 alone, 420 pedestrians were killed, while 301 motorcyclists lost their lives. The authorities continue to call on motorists to drive responsibly, respect speed limits, and avoid risky maneuvers.
