Raila Speaks On Pwani University Bus Accident That Killed 14

UPDATE: Raila Odinga has sent his condolences to Pwani University after 14 people lost their lives during an accident along the Nairobi-Naivasha Highway.

"I extend my sincere condolences to the Pwani University community and all those who lost colleagues, friends, and loved ones in the regrettable accident that involved a Pwani University bus and matatu on the Naivasha-Nakuru highway," he wrote on his Twitter account.

14 people are reported dead after a bus ferrying students of Pwani University overturned following a head-on collision with a matatu along the Nairobi - Naivasha Highway in the Kayole area on Thursday, March 30.

Reports indicated that the bus was ferrying over 30 students heading to Eldoret to participate in sports competitions.

Students were filmed assisting their comrades from the wreckage following the grisly road accident.

Preliminary reports had indicated that the accident was caused by a brake failure of the bus, but the same was yet to be confirmed by the time of publishing.

Wreckage of a matatu and the Pwani University Bus involved in an accident at Naivasha Kayole area on March 30, 2023. /TWITTER.WARUI JOHN

The bus collided with a 14-seater matatu minutes after 11 am before it overturned. 

Police and emergency responders were deployed to the scene to restore the normal flow of traffic after the accident caused a snarl-up along the highway.

In addition, motorists plying the route warned their colleagues to approach the affected area with caution.

"An extremely bad accident involving several cars along Nakuru - Nairobi Highway at Kayole in Naivasha.

"Many are injured. Rescue operations are underway. A great Kenyan Spirit. If you are on the route, expect a snarl-up there," Muhammad Noor warned.

"RIP to these Pwani University Comrades," tweeted Warui John.

The accident comes a week after the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) revealed that the number of fatalities from road accidents across the country dropped by 4.6 per cent.

The authority reported the reduction in accidents in one year, adding that overall numbers show a drop in fatalities from 1,021 to 974.

NTSA added that the reduction is mainly attributed to increased public education and awareness through the Government Road Safety Mainstreaming Programme and the Usalama Barabarani Campaign supported by the European Union.

On a category basis, pedestrian fatalities reduced from 359 in 2022 to 330 in 2023, a drop of 8.1 per cent while pillion passenger fatalities decreased from 109 in 2022 to 93 in 2023, a drop of 14.7 per cent. At the same time, motorcyclist fatalities decreased from 289 in 2022 to 265 in 2023, translating to an 8 per cent decline.