Traffic along Nairobi’s busy Thika Road was disrupted on the night of Sunday, November 17, after a 14-seater matatu overturned, blocking two lanes of the highway near Garden City.
The accident occurred around 10 p.m., affecting vehicles and road users heading toward the Central Business District (CBD).
Witnesses reported that the matatu overturned after its driver was forced to apply emergency brakes to avoid colliding with an online taxi that had suddenly stopped in front of it.
According to Sikika Road Safety, a local road safety advocacy group, the matatu driver attempted to regain control of the vehicle but was unable to prevent the accident.
The group called for emergency medical assistance shortly after the crash.
“We need an emergency ambulance at Thika Road near Garden City now.
A matatu has rolled over toward town after reportedly being brake-checked by an online driver,” Sikika stated in an update.
The overturned matatu obstructed part of the road, leaving only one lane passable.
Traffic police officers and bodaboda riders quickly arrived to assist in rescuing passengers trapped inside the vehicle.
The survivors were extricated through a broken window, while videos from the scene showed the shattered windscreen and extensive damage to one side of the matatu.
Thika Road has a history of frequent accidents involving public service vehicles.
Earlier this month, on November 8, another collision between a matatu and a small car occurred near the General Service Unit (GSU) headquarters, leaving several passengers injured.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) recently highlighted the economic cost of road accidents in Kenya, estimating annual losses of sh310 billion, equivalent to 5% of the country’s GDP.
“The economic loss due to road traffic crashes in Kenya is estimated at about US$3.1 billion annually,” NTSA Board Chair Manoj Shah stated in a report released on November 17.
Efforts are ongoing to clear the scene and restore normal traffic flow along the affected stretch of Thika Road.
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