Twelve killed after a trailer rams into a fourteen seater Matatu at Migaa

Twelve people were fatally injured in the wee hours of this morning after a trailer rammed into a Matatu they were traveling in at the Migaa blackspot along the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway.

Reports indicate the Trailer ferrying Coffee seeds rammed into the fourteen seater PSV which had eleven passengers killing all of them.

The trailer brakes failed while approaching the area, leading to the head-on collision.

Photos and videos from the accident scene show the Matatu was completely damaged with everything including the windscreen, windows and seats all broken with tyres deflated showing the magnitude of the accident.

The trailer, which was headed to Eldoret, sustained significant damage on the front side. Videos indicated rescuers struggling to retrieve people trapped in the wreckage.

Officers from the Kenya Red Cross and the Nakuru Disaster Management team arrived at the scene and rushed the victims to the hospital.

A massive traffic snarl-up was witnessed along the busy highway caused by the early morning accident, with police officers getting to the scene and advising motorists to use alternative routes.

Confirming the accident, National Police Service Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga revealed the accident claimed the lives of nine males, four females, and a child, including the crew that was in the trailer.

“The victims included nine males, four females, and a child,” Muchiri stated.

The police spokesperson called on Kenyans, particularly motorists, to exercise caution when approaching the area, as Migaa is known to be a black spot.

Traffic accidents have been on the rise in the country despite ongoing efforts to curb the trend.

Statistics show that 4,282 people were killed in accidents between January and November 2024, compared to 3,901 during the same period in 2023.

The number of reported accidents also increased from 20,191 in 2023 to 21,620 in 2024.