Two people died while nine others sustained injuries in a road accident involving a Toyota Hilux pickup and a matatu along the Sagana-Makutano Road in Kirinyaga County on Monday evening.
The accident occurred near Kwa V area when the pickup, owned by a milk manufacturing company based in Nyeri, collided head-on with a matatu belonging to 2NK Sacco.
Kirinyaga West Sub-County Police Commander Julius Gaya said the pickup was travelling from Sagana towards Makutano when it suffered a tyre burst, causing the driver to lose control.
The vehicle reportedly veered off its lane, crossed the trench separating the two carriageways and struck the matatu, which was heading towards Sagana from Makutano.
Gaya confirmed that the matatu driver and a female passenger died in the collision. The woman had not been identified by the time of the police update.
The pickup driver escaped without injuries.
Nine matatu passengers sustained various injuries, including injuries to their heads, faces, hands, legs and chests. They were taken to Sagana Sub-County Hospital and Kerugoya County Referral Hospital for treatment by ambulances and members of the public who responded to the incident.
Residents who arrived at the scene described the collision as frightening, with some saying they were shocked to see the pickup cross the highway and hit the matatu.
James Gatimu Wambui, one of the residents, said he initially struggled to understand what he had seen before realising that the vehicle involved was a milk-carrying pickup.
Other residents raised concerns over road safety, particularly at night, and urged motorists to exercise caution.
The bodies of the two victims were moved to Kerugoya Mortuary pending postmortem examinations.
The wreckage of both vehicles was towed to Sagana Police Station for inspection as investigations into the accident continue.
