Philip Etale urges road safety after deadly Bungoma–Eldoret Highway accident
By Faith Lagat, June 28, 2026Political communications director Philip Etale has called on motorists to exercise greater caution following a fatal road accident at Chimoi along the Bungoma–Eldoret Highway.
In a statement shared on X on Sunday, June 28, 2026, Etale expressed condolences to the bereaved families and urged road users to observe traffic rules to help reduce road fatalities.
Etale conveyed his condolences to families affected by the crash and appealed to motorists to prioritise road safety.
“My heart goes out to families of the victims of the grisly road accident at Chimoi on the Eldoret-Bungoma highway yesterday,” he wrote.
“It is painful to lose loved ones in such a manner that could have been avoided. I urge motorists to be careful while driving on roads, observe lane discipline and be mindful of other road users to avoid loss of life. May the souls of the departed rest in peace and a quick recovery to those injured.”
His remarks came as rescue teams and investigators continued to assess the circumstances surrounding the accident.
Log trailer crushes passenger matatu
The accident occurred at about 3 pm on Saturday, June 27, 2026, after a trailer transporting logs overturned and landed on a 14-seater North Rift public service vehicle matatu travelling along the Bungoma–Eldoret Highway.
Passengers became trapped inside the crushed vehicle as local residents, motorists and emergency responders mounted rescue efforts.
The Long Distance Drivers and Conductors Association was among the first organisations to alert the public, issuing a “Fatal accident alert” on social media and warning motorists of heavy traffic along the highway.
A subsequent update confirmed that the crash involved the North Rift matatu and the log-laden trailer, with rescue operations continuing for several hours.
The accident caused a major traffic snarl-up, forcing motorists to seek alternative routes while others remained stranded in long queues. By Sunday morning, authorities had not released the final casualty figures.
Highway records repeated fatal crashes
The latest accident adds to a series of fatal crashes recorded along the Bungoma–Eldoret transport corridor in recent months.
On June 10, 2026, six people died after a collision involving a shuttle matatu and a trailer at Mabanga along the Webuye–Bungoma Highway. In March 2026, another accident involving a log truck in Nyeri claimed 15 lives.
According to the National Transport and Safety Authority, 2,150 people lost their lives in road accidents during the first half of 2026.
The government has continued to encourage safer road use, with President William Ruto recently reaffirming that road accident victims are entitled to free emergency medical treatment during the first 24 hours after a crash.
Investigations into the Chimoi accident are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the trailer overturning and the events leading to the collision.