On the morning of December 7, a Modern Coast bus carrying approximately 60 passengers caught fire near the Gilgil Weigh Bridge on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
Eyewitness accounts and videos shared online indicate that the flames ignited at the rear of the bus before rapidly spreading, particularly on the driver’s side. Fortunately, all passengers evacuated safely; however, they were unable to retrieve their personal belongings from the bus as it burned. The fire completely consumed the rear of the vehicle.
Firefighters were dispatched to extinguish the blaze, while rescue teams worked to clear the wreckage from the busy highway. These efforts, however, resulted in heavy traffic congestion, as vehicles navigated around the incident site to avoid delays. Authorities have confirmed that the bus was en route from western Kenya to Nairobi at the time of the fire.
While the number of passengers aboard remains unverified, early reports indicate that they were all able to escape unharmed. The fire has now been brought under control, and an investigation is underway to ascertain its cause. This incident is part of a troubling pattern, with bus fires increasingly becoming a concern in Kenya, particularly involving long-distance operators.
Earlier this year, a Tahmeed Bus Services vehicle caught fire near Voi on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, with 48 passengers safely evacuated. This incident mirrored another that occurred in January 2023, involving the same company and occurring in the same region. In response to the growing concern over road safety in Kenya, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja addressed the increase in fatal accidents during a national address on Thursday.
He reported a rise in road fatalities, with 3,681 deaths recorded from January to November this year, compared to 3,469 in the same timeframe last year. Additionally, the number of road traffic accident victims has escalated to 1,620, up from 20,239 in 2023. In other news, at least 16 legislators were injured early Friday, December 6, 2024, when a bus carrying them to the East African Community Inter-Parliamentary Games in Mombasa, Kenya, collided with a lorry in the Mbande area of Kongwa District, Dodoma Region.
The incident, which occurred at approximately 2 a.m., also resulted in injuries to two parliamentary officers and the bus driver, according to Dodoma Regional Police Commander (RPC) George Katabazi. The bus, operated by Shabiby Bus Company, was transporting lawmakers and parliamentary staff when it failed to exercise caution while overtaking another vehicle. This led to a head-on collision with a lorry travelling from Morogoro to Dodoma. RPC Katabazi confirmed that the bus driver has been arrested under allegations of causing the accident.
In total, 19 individuals have been reported injured, including the aforementioned 16 lawmakers, the two parliamentary officers, and the driver. Victims have been receiving treatment at several local hospitals, including Benjamin Mkapa Hospital, Dodoma Regional Referral Hospital, and Uhuru Hospital. Specifically, RPC Katabazi noted that eight victims are currently hospitalized at Mkapa, comprising six legislators and two parliamentary officers.
