The families of nine people who lost their lives in a horrific road accident at Karai are demanding clear answers and accountability from the government. The deadly crash happened in the early hours of Monday morning, January 5, along the busy Nairobi–Nakuru highway, leaving the nation in shock and grief.
On Tuesday, January 7, emotions ran high at the Naivasha Hospital Mortuary as relatives gathered to identify the bodies of their loved ones. Tears, anger, and unanswered questions filled the air as families struggled to accept the sudden loss caused by the tragic collision.
The accident involved a Greenline bus and a 14-seater matatu at the Karai area. According to initial information, the matatu was traveling from Kiambu to Gilgil when the crash occurred at around 1am, a time when visibility is low and fatigue often affects drivers.
Among the victims was a well-known Catholic catechist who died together with his wife and their two children. The family was reportedly returning home when their lives were cut short in what has become one of the deadliest road accidents recorded so far this year.
The catechist’s wife was a teacher based in Gilgil, remembered by colleagues as a dedicated educator. Their surviving daughter is currently admitted at Nairobi Women’s Hospital in Naivasha, where she is receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the crash.
Survivors of the accident have spoken out, blaming reckless driving by the bus driver for the tragedy. One survivor recalled that passengers noticed danger from the very beginning of the journey.
“From the word go, when the journey started, the driver was driving recklessly. We tried to shout to him to drive responsibly, but all our words fell on deaf ears as he was ignorant,” the survivor said.
These chilling words have intensified public anger and renewed concerns about driver behavior on Kenyan highways. Many families believe the crash could have been avoided if traffic rules were followed and warnings from passengers were taken seriously.
Despite these testimonies, official investigations are still ongoing. Police and transport authorities have not yet released a final report on what caused the collision, leaving families frustrated and desperate for clarity.
Speaking to the press, the families called on the police, the National Transport and Safety Authority, and the Ministry of Transport to conduct a full and transparent investigation into the accident.
“The Ministry of Transport must conduct a thorough investigation into the rising road crashes and take swift action to prevent further tragedies,” the families said in a joint statement filled with pain and urgency.
Their demand comes at a time when road accidents are claiming lives at an alarming rate across Kenya. In just the first six days of 2026, at least 31 people have already died in road crashes nationwide.
On the same Tuesday that families were mourning in Naivasha, eight more people lost their lives in separate accidents in Kericho and Baringo counties, deepening the country’s road safety crisis.
In Kericho, six people died after a bus rammed into a trailer from behind along the Tunnel Mandera section of the Muhoroni–Londiani road. The crash once again raised serious questions about speeding, braking distances, and driver alertness.
For grieving families, statistics offer little comfort. What they want is action that will save lives and prevent others from experiencing the same pain.
They are now calling for stricter enforcement of traffic laws, regular driver conduct checks, and focused safety interventions on major highways known for frequent accidents.
Families insist that investigations should not end with reports, but should lead to real consequences where negligence is found. They say accountability is the only way to restore public trust in the transport system.
Many commuters who use the Nairobi–Nakuru highway daily share these concerns, describing it as dangerous, especially at night when heavy commercial vehicles and buses dominate the road.
As funerals are planned and hospital beds remain occupied by survivors, the Karai crash has become a painful reminder of the human cost of unsafe roads.
For now, families continue to wait for answers, hoping that the deaths of their loved ones will not be added to a long list of forgotten tragedies.
They say every Kenyan deserves to travel safely and return home alive, and that preventable road deaths must never be treated as normal.
