A village in Kandara, Murang’a County, has been thrown into mourning after 13 members of the same family perished in the grisly Kariandusi road crash that claimed 16 lives in total along the Nakuru–Nairobi Highway.
The family of Elijah Mburu from Kahiga Village had hired a PSV matatu to attend a function in Rongai, Nakuru County, on Sunday. However, the journey ended tragically when the matatu collided head-on with a speeding truck at Kariandusi near Kikopey, Gilgil Sub-County.
Gilgil Sub-County Police Commander Winston Mwakio confirmed the fatalities, revealing that 13 passengers — all relatives — died instantly at the scene, while three more victims succumbed to injuries later, bringing the total death toll to 16. Several survivors remain hospitalized in critical condition.
Eyewitnesses described the accident as horrific, with the matatu reduced to mangled wreckage. Rescue efforts by locals, police, and paramedics lasted for hours as bodies were retrieved and the injured rushed to hospitals in Nakuru and Gilgil.
The tragedy has devastated Kahiga Village, where neighbors and relatives are struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of nearly an entire lineage. “This is beyond comprehension. To lose 13 members of one family at once is unbearable,” said a grief-stricken villager.
Police Commander Mwakio has once again warned motorists against reckless driving along the Nakuru–Nairobi highway, particularly the Gilgil–Salgaa stretch, notorious for deadly crashes.
The bodies of the deceased were taken to Gilgil Sub-County Hospital mortuary as families prepare for mass funerals in Kandara.
The Kariandusi crash has once again renewed calls for stricter enforcement of traffic rules and urgent safety interventions on Kenya’s busiest highways.
