Bus Crash in Kenya Kills 22 on Nairobi to Mombasa Highway Near Mtito Andei

A bus collided with a truck on Kenya's main highway on Sunday morning, killing at least 22 people, police said. The crash happened at about 7:45 a.m. at Kanga, near Mtito Andei in Makueni County, on the highway that links the capital, Nairobi, with the coastal city of Mombasa, according to Makueni County Commissioner Abdullahi Khalif.

The bus was carrying 45 passengers who were returning to Mombasa after attending the funeral of their church pastor in western Kenya, the Associated Press reported. Some 24 others were injured in the crash and were receiving treatment, according to Paul Kisienya, the medical superintendent at Mtito Andei hospital, which received most of those injured. County health officials said survivors were taken to Mtito Andei Sub-County Hospital, and two were referred to Makindu Sub-County Hospital for further care.

Toll rose from 20 to 22

Kenyan reports said officials first confirmed 20 deaths, and the toll later rose to 22 after two more victims died in hospital. The bodies of those who died were taken to the mortuaries at Mtito Andei and Makindu hospitals. Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. expressed condolences to the families. "A fatal road traffic accident at Mtito Andei, on Mombasa Road. Over 20 fatalities. The survivors are receiving attention at Makindu Hospital. Our condolences to the families of the deceased," the governor said.

A mother of two, Violet Mwandonyi, said the bus had just left Mtito Andei town, where the passengers had eaten breakfast. "I cannot recall what exactly happened. The last thing I remember is that we were all wailing and calling on motorists to come to our rescue. I don't know the fate of my two children who were on the bus," she said.

Cause not yet established

The cause of the accident has yet to be established. Commissioner Khalif said the bus, travelling toward Mombasa, attempted to overtake a fleet of vehicles, lost control and collided with the oncoming truck. A passenger, Spenza Mudave, gave a different account and said a truck hit the bus from behind, causing the bus to roll, the Associated Press reported. The National Transport and Safety Authority suspected improper overtaking, because the information gathered indicated that the vehicles collided head-on.

The authority said the section of the highway where the crash occurred had been designated an accident black spot, and that recommendations had been made to address safety concerns along the stretch. Speeding and poor road conditions have previously been identified as contributing factors in road accidents in Kenya.

Second deadly crash on the same highway in three weeks

The crash came three weeks after 17 people died in another accident on October 3, 2026, along the same Nairobi to Mombasa highway. The Motorists Association of Kenya responded to Sunday's crash by demanding the separation of heavy commercial trailers from long-distance passenger buses on the road. "How many more Kenyans must die before those entrusted with protecting human life wake up?" the association said, in remarks reported by People Daily.

Police and investigators were still working to establish the full circumstances of Sunday's collision, and officials said the death toll could rise.