The Kenya Red Cross has confirmed an accident incident at Karai area along the Nakuru-Nairobi Highway involving a bus and a matatu early morning, January 5, 2026.

In a statement shared via X on Monday morning, January 5, 2026, the KRC also confirmed that the accident left several people injured, with fatalities not reported. The injured were rushed to Naivasha District Hospital.

Karai accident

”A road traffic accident occurred at around 2:00 am at Karai along the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway, involving a bus and a matatu. Several injured people were taken to Naivasha District Hospital as Kenya Red Cross and other emergency teams responded,” the statement said.

This happens as the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has expressed deep sorrow following a series of tragic road traffic crashes that have recently occurred along major highways across the country, claiming several lives and leaving others injured.

In a press statement released on Saturday, January 3, 2026, the authority detailed three separate incidents recorded along the Nairobi–Mombasa Highway and the Gilgil–Nakuru Highway, highlighting reckless driving and failure to observe traffic rules as key preliminary causes.

”We are deeply saddened by the tragic road traffic crashes that have claimed several livesand left others injured along major highways in the last 24 hours,” the statement read in part.

One of the fatal crashes occurred in the Konza area along the Nairobi–Mombasa Highway, involving a bus operated by Tahmeed Express Limited and a matatu belonging to Naekana Route 139 Sacco. According to preliminary investigations, the matatu driver attempted to overtake another vehicle, resulting in a head-on collision with the bus.

Back to school rush

As schools prepare to reopen in the first week of January 2026, NTSA has also urged all road users to exercise extreme caution and strictly adhere to traffic rules to prevent further loss of life. ”We urge all road users to exercise extreme caution and adhere to traffic rules, especially as our children travel back to school next week.” The statement added.