Nairobi, Kenya — A bus carrying mourners home from a funeral in southwestern Kenya overturned and plunged into a ditch on Friday evening, killing at least 25 people and injuring several others, authorities confirmed.
The accident occurred along the Kisumu-Kakamega Highway as the vehicle, travelling from Kakamega to Kisumu, approached a roundabout at high speed. According to Peter Maina, the regional traffic enforcement officer for Nyanza province, the driver lost control and veered into a roadside ditch. A 10-year-old girl was among the victims.
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Initially, 29 people were reported injured, but four later died in hospital, said Fredrick Ouma Oluga, Kenya’s principal secretary for medical services. Officials said the passengers had attended a burial in Nyahera and were heading to Nyakach, about 62 km (38.5 miles) away. All are believed to be from the same extended family.
The bus, a secondary school vehicle, had no students on board and was being used for funeral transport.
The tragedy has sparked fresh calls for stronger road safety measures in a region notorious for deadly crashes. Kenya’s Ministry of Health launched an urgent blood drive for survivors and extended condolences to the bereaved.
President William Ruto urged swift action against “any acts of negligence” and called for strict enforcement of traffic rules nationwide. The National Transport and Safety Authority said it will assist in investigating the cause of the accident.
Deadly road crashes are common in Kenya, where poor road conditions, speeding, and reckless driving often contribute to fatalities.
In a separate incident on Thursday, nine people were killed in Naivasha, Nakuru County, when a bus carrying 32 workers crashed at a railway crossing, underscoring the country’s persistent road safety crisis.
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