The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) asked the government to declare road safety a national disaster after the Kanga road crash near Mtito Andei on Sunday, Citizen Digital reported. A church bus and a cement truck collided head-on, and the Kenya News Agency (KNA) put the death toll at 23.
The crash happened at Kanga on the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway in Makueni County. Other outlets reported tolls of 22 and 24, and the final figure has not been confirmed.
NTSA Director General Nashon Odhiambo Kondiwa said crashes “have reached a national emergency level”. The reports reviewed do not explain who would make a declaration, and no government reply has been reported.
What happened in the Kanga road crash
The collision happened at about 7:45 a.m., according to KNA. The Star, the Nation and Citizen Digital said about 7 a.m. The site is in Kambu Sub County, near Mtito Andei.
The bus was an Isuzu owned by Power of the Word Church International in Mombasa, KNA reported, with 45 people aboard. The Nation said it was returning from a funeral in western Kenya.
KNA said the bus overtook a fleet of vehicles and hit the truck head-on, and that police are investigating. The Ministry of Roads, quoted by Citizen Digital, said reports suggested overtaking and called that preliminary. The bus driver survived and the truck driver died, KNA reported.
Why the toll is 22, 23 or 24
KNA gave the fullest account. County Commissioner Abdullahi Khalif said 23 people were confirmed dead. Health Chief Officer Dr Harvey Mulei said Mtito Andei Sub-County Hospital received 16 patients and 23 bodies. KNA reported that 19 people died at the scene and four during treatment. Traffic officer John Kirima gave the breakdown as 12 women, 10 men and one juvenile.
The table shows the death toll each outlet reported, with the detail it gave. The outlets do not explain the gaps. The lower counts may be earlier tallies, since some people died in hospital, but that is not confirmed.
| Outlet | Reported dead | Detail given |
|---|---|---|
| Kenya News Agency | 23 | 19 at the scene, four during treatment |
| Citizen Digital | 24 | 20 at the scene, four in hospital |
| The Star | 22 in the text, 23 in the headline | Both figures appear in the article |
| Nation | 22 | Article body and caption; a linked teaser cites Mulei with 18 at the scene and two later |
| Eastleigh Voice | 23 | Also reported 25 injured |
The injured count is also unsettled. KNA said 16 people were admitted, the county commissioner put the seriously injured at six, and two patients were referred to Makindu Sub-County Hospital.
What NTSA is asking for
Kondiwa said Kenya sees about 20,000 crashes and more than 5,000 deaths a year, Citizen Digital, The Star and Eastleigh Voice reported. According to NTSA, a declaration would put road agencies, police, the health sector and counties under one framework, with clear accountability, measurable targets, urgent action and funding.
That is all the reports say it would change. They do not name the law or office behind a declaration, or say how much money would follow. No response from the president, the Ministry of Roads or Parliament has been reported.
The measures announced so far are narrower. President William Ruto directed authorities to inspect public service vehicles (PSVs) for compliance with safety standards, The Star and Citizen Digital reported. He urged drivers to “exercise utmost caution and observe traffic rules to safeguard lives”. The Ministry of Roads said it would engage Parliament, the Judiciary, police and county governments.
the corridor and the year in numbers
Kanga is the third deadly crash on the highway in a month, the Nation reported. A Dreamline bus hit a stationary trailer at Taru on Sept. 23, killing two. A lorry and a Hiace carrying Catholic pilgrims collided at Mlima Kiu, Salama, on Oct. 3, killing 17. The Nation counted 41 deaths across the three.
NTSA figures reported by the Nation show 3,995 road deaths from Jan. 1 to Oct. 4, 2026, up 9.2% from 3,657 a year earlier, and 15,472 injured.
| Road user | Deaths, Jan. 1 to Oct. 4, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 1,490 |
| Motorcyclists | 1,061 |
| Passengers | 662 |
| Drivers | 352 |
Source: NTSA figures reported by the Nation.
The Nation did not say which groups make up the rest of the 3,995.
NTSA has identified more than 270 black spots nationally, 199 on the Mombasa-Malaba Northern Corridor, and the Kanga stretch is flagged, the Nation reported. The dual carriageway ends at Machakos Junction, and beyond it opposing traffic is separated mainly by markings. Police list Salama to Sultan Hamud, Emali Simba Market to Kibwezi and Mtito Andei to Tsavo River as dangerous stretches.
After the Salama crash, Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior called for the highway to be dualled and for a trauma centre.
What happens next
Police findings: the cause and which vehicle was overtaking. KNA said police are investigating. No date has been given. The final toll: one confirmed figure. Some of the injured were still in hospital, per KNA. PSV inspections: ordered by Ruto, per The Star and Citizen Digital. The reports give no start date or scope. A government response to NTSA: none has been reported.
More Kenya coverage: an earlier Kenya road crash report and the figures behind the university strike.
