A construction truck reportedly veered off its lane and collided head-on with a matatu traveling from Nairobi to Machakos early on Sunday, November 23, 2025, leaving several people feared dead and others seriously injured.

The tragic accident occurred between Maanzoni and the Machakos Junction.

Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic with bystanders assisting where they could while waiting for official responders.

“It was a terrifying experience,the vehicles were shredded and people were screaming for help,” said one witness.

Rescue operations are currently underway as emergency teams work to retrieve survivors and attend to the injured.

Motorists are advised to use alternative routes.

This incident marks the second fatal accident in the Ukambani region within the last 72 hours after another fatal crash happened on Saturday November 22, where a lorry veered off the recently tarmacked road at Ngoluni Junction, hitting a matatu that was picking up passengers heading to Machakos and Nairobi.

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This left six people, four being KCSE candidates dead.

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has raised the alarm over a worrying increase in road fatalities in Kenya with death of pillion passengers increasing by 15 % in 2025.

Speaking during a press briefing on Sunday November 16,2025, to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, NTSA Acting Director Angela Wanjira highlighted the human cost behind the statistics and reiterated the government’s commitment to reduce the number of road accidents by at least 50% by 2030.

Rising Fatalities Across all Road Users

According to data published by NTSA, the number of deaths among all road users increased by 2.9% as compared to 2024.

A total of 21,042 Kenyans lost their lives in the road crashes between January 1 and November 13 ,2025.

Among these, 411 of them were pillion passengers.

Also Read:How Police Plan to Use Music to Reduce Road Accidents

Nairobi County has the highest number of road crash fatalities between January 1 and October 31 with 447 fatalities, then Kiambu County (387) and Nakuru County (318) .

Machakos (173), Muranga (148), and Kisumu (137) rounded off the top six counties with the highest number of fatalities.

Pedestrians and Motorcyclists Most Vulnerable

Pedestrians remain the road accident victims with 1,580 deaths in 2025 , making them the most vulnerable road users.

Motorcyclists were also greatly affected with 1,085 Fatalities, reflecting a sharp rise in October 2025 where deaths increased by 9.15 % compared to the same period in 2024.

Other road user fatalities include 376 drivers, 681 passengers, and 62 pedal cyclists. Meanwhile ,minor injuries caused by accidents rose by 11.4 % and serious injuries declined by 2.8 %, totalling 9,888 cases in 2025.

Road Safety Measures During the Festive Season

In preparation for the upcoming festive season, NTSA has come up with a detailed road safety strategy to be implemented, which will be characterized by a strong partnership with the police and other agencies in order to execute multi-agency prevention strategies.

Acting Director Wanjira emphasized, ” the loss of lives on our roads is preventable .

We urge all Kenyans to adhere strictly to road safety rules, especially in this festive season as we all work towards reducing road accidents.”

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An image of Acting NTSA Director General Eng. Angela Wanjira