At least 17 people were killed on the spot after a chain-reaction road crash involving several vehicles at Mlima Kiu in Salama area along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway early Saturday morning.
The accident occurred at about 12.10am on October 3, 2026, when a Howo Sinotruk was travelling from Nairobi towards Mombasa, police said.
According to police from Salama Police Station, the truck driver allegedly failed to keep to his proper lane while overtaking a fleet of vehicles and rammed into the rear right side of a Hino truck travelling in the same direction.
The impact caused the Sinotruk driver to lose control before the truck collided sideways with an oncoming Peugeot and a Toyota Noah, both travelling from Mombasa towards Nairobi.
Police said the truck then swerved into the climbing lane, where it collided head-on with a Toyota Hiace PSV matatu carrying 12 passengers.
The out-of-control truck was subsequently stopped after colliding with a Nissan UD, which was travelling from Mombasa towards Nairobi.
Police said the driver of the matatu and all 12 passengers died at the scene.
The driver of the Sinotruk, Shijire, and three passengers travelling in the truck also died on the spot, bringing the reported death toll to 17.
Several other people sustained injuries in the multiple-vehicle collision.
Police officers visited and documented the scene before the bodies were removed to Sultan Hamud Sub-County Hospital mortuary, where they are being preserved pending postmortem examinations.
Makueni County Commissioner Khalif Abdullahi said they are investigating the accident.
The damaged vehicles are being towed to Salama Police Station yard, where they will be detained pending inspection as investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash continue.
Police said further investigations were underway to establish the circumstances that led to the deadly chain of collisions.
The tragedy adds to concerns over the persistent number of fatal crashes recorded along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, one of Kenya’s major transport corridors.
On Saturday alone at least 34 people were killed in separate accidents in the country, police said. They included the 16 passengers, seven pedestrians, six riders, two pillion passengers and three drivers.
Police said the accidents left 33 people with serious injuries and included 14 passengers, eight riders, four pedestrians and four pillion passengers.
Road safety stakeholders have continued to call for stronger enforcement of traffic regulations, responsible driving and measures to reduce the rising number of deaths on the country’s roads.
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