A fuel tanker and a lorry caught fire following a collision on the busy Nairobi-Mombasa Highway near Mtito Andei on the morning of March 20, 2025, causing a major traffic disruption, according to police and witnesses.
The accident occurred in the Kanga area near Mtito Andei market in Kibwezi, Makueni County, when a trailer collided with another truck, overturning and bursting into flames.
The Senior Chief of Mtito Andei confirmed that both truck drivers sustained injuries and were transported to Mtito Andei Hospital for treatment.
The explosion caused both vehicles to ignite, with images circulating online showing the tanker and trailer burned beyond recognition.
Videos and photos from the scene captured thick plumes of smoke and fire, resulting in severe traffic congestion.
Some motorists resorted to driving along the roadside, which was covered in bushes, as the road was completely blocked.
As of the time of publishing, the exact cause of the accident had not yet been determined.
This is not the first incident involving a fuel tanker in Kenya. In June of the previous year, a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanker exploded near Fedha Estate along Nairobi’s Outer Ring Road, injuring two people.
The driver reportedly abandoned the vehicle after it caught fire.
Similarly, in April of the same year, a gas leak occurred following an LPG tanker crash in Kericho County along Londiani-Muhoroni Road.
In 2022, a tanker carrying LPG overturned in Kanga area, near Mtito Andei, and another incident saw a boda boda rider tragically burned to death after two tankers exploded in Mukhonje Trading Centre along the Webuye-Eldoret Road.
One of the tankers had rammed into another, causing a massive fire that also engulfed a truck carrying building blocks.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has identified several common causes for tanker accidents, with driver fatigue, lack of concentration, insufficient defensive driving skills, and poor vehicle maintenance as major factors.
Road indiscipline and the absence of a clear journey plan outlining approved driving hours, hazardous areas, and rest stops have also been cited as contributing factors.
For the past six years, petroleum tanker accidents have consistently been the leading cause of road incidents within Kenya’s petroleum and LPG sectors.
