Several injured as Forward Sacco matatu overturns along Kangundo Road

Several passengers were injured after a 33-seater Forward Sacco matatu overturned at Umoja Junction along Kangundo Road, Nairobi, in the latest road accident to raise concerns over the country's growing road safety crisis.

The Thursday, October 29, night accident occurred at around 10pm near Kangundo Road Fire Station as the matatu was reportedly ferrying passengers home.

Some passengers were trapped underneath the overturned vehicle, prompting an emergency rescue operation involving members of the public and other responders.

The injured were rushed to Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital for medical attention, although the exact number of casualties had not been established by the time of publication.

Footage circulating on social media moments before the crash appeared to show the matatu travelling at high speed and overtaking several vehicles along the highway.

Other footage showed passengers shouting inside the moving vehicle, with some appearing to hang their hands outside as it travelled along the road.

Images taken after the accident showed residents gathering around the wreckage as rescuers attempted to retrieve those trapped underneath.

Police officers later arrived at the scene and arranged for the wreckage to be towed away, with investigations expected to establish the circumstances that led to the crash.

The accident came just hours after another fatal incident along Ngong Road, where three people were killed when a vehicle crashed near Kenol Stage before being set ablaze by angry boda boda riders.

The vehicle reportedly lost control at around 7:25 am on Thursday, October 29, before hitting a pavement and striking a woman who was waiting for a matatu.

The two incidents have renewed concerns over dangerous driving, speeding and compliance with traffic regulations, particularly involving public service vehicles.

Kenya continues to record thousands of road fatalities annually, with pedestrians, motorcyclists, passengers and drivers among those bearing the greatest burden.

Data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) shows that 3,995 people died in road accidents between January 1 and October 4, 2026, representing an increase of 9.2 per cent compared with 3,657 deaths recorded during the same period in 2025.

The figures translate to approximately 14 deaths every day.

Pedestrians accounted for 1,490 fatalities, followed by motorcyclists at 1,061, passengers at 662 and drivers at 352.

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Economic Survey 2026 also showed that road fatalities increased from 4,748 in 2024 to 5,009 in 2025.

The number of reported road accidents rose from 11,165 to 11,638 during the same period, while the number of people killed or injured increased to 24,905.

The KNBS identified overloading, driver fatigue, drunk driving, reckless driving, failure to observe traffic rules and poor road infrastructure among the main contributors to road accidents.

NTSA has also identified more than 270 accident black spots across the country, including 199 along the Mombasa-Malaba Northern Corridor.

The government, through NTSA and the National Police Service, has intensified enforcement operations targeting speeding, reckless driving, unroadworthy vehicles and violations involving public service vehicles.

On October 24, 2026, NTSA announced enhanced road safety operations ahead of the festive season, targeting major transport corridors where traffic volumes are expected to increase.

The measures include night-time compliance checks, monitoring of speed limiters, vehicle inspections, driver retesting and stricter accountability for public service vehicle operators.

The authority has also upgraded its Intelligent Road Safety Management System (IRSMS), which was rolled out in October 2026 to detect, record and track speeding violations.

The system enables NTSA to monitor commercial vehicles weighing 3,048 kilogrammes and above, as well as public service vehicles with a capacity of seven passengers or more.

As part of the intervention, NTSA reported that it had trained 3,201 participants by October 20, comprising 2,352 public service vehicle drivers and 849 transport operator management personnel.

The authority has further warned operators against speeding, overloading and dangerous driving, with persistent violations attracting regulatory action.

In May 2026, the Ministry of Roads and Transport also presented four proposed regulations to Parliament covering motor vehicle inspections, school transport, drink-driving and the operation of commercial service vehicles.

The proposed regulations seek to strengthen vehicle roadworthiness requirements, introduce stricter safety standards for school transport and establish enforceable alcohol limits for drivers.

NTSA has additionally called for road crashes to be declared a national disaster to facilitate a coordinated national response to the rising fatalities and serious injuries.

Despite the interventions, the latest accidents highlight the continuing challenge of enforcing traffic regulations and ensuring that motorists and public transport operators prioritise passenger safety.

The circumstances surrounding the Kangundo Road accident are expected to be established through police investigations.