This is a list of Kenya’s worst road accidents from 1963 to date. According to statistics, 2,345 lives have been lost in road accidents since January 2018, this is much higher compared to last year which was at 2,153.
Many Kenyans going around the country doing their normal business using roads have been intercepted by the merchant of death; something which has seen many in morgues, serious injuries, confinement to ICU for a long time, loss of body parts which means using wheelchairs for the rest of their lives. Corruption, bad attitude, and even our driving culture have been heavily blamed for fuelling the soaring road accident cases in Kenya.
Many of these accidents usually happen at night due to poor visibility, sleepy drivers, overspeeding vehicles or generally unroadworthy vehicles.
Here is a list of Kenya’s worst road accidents.
1. April 1963, Tiva River Accident
On April 7 1963, probably the worst road accident in Kenya’s history happened. A bus carrying people who were returning from a church meeting plunged into Tiva River, Mitaboni in Machakos killing 72 people including pedestrians
2. November 1989, Thwake River Accident
On November 14, 1989, a bus plunged into Thwake River in Machakos and killed 55 people almost instantly.
3. January 6th 1991 Muranga Accident
A bus slammed into a tree in the outskirts of Murang’a town after the driver lost control and killed 47 people; 39 on the spot and 9 more while undergoing treatment and further left 40 others with injuries.
4. July 1992 Mikuyuni River Accident
On July 12, 1992, 96 people died in a fatal road accident at Mikuyuni River, Machakos. This is one of the highest records of deaths caused by an accident in a single day in Kenya during the 20th century.
5. January 1993 Railway Accident
This accident happened on January 30, 1993, at Ngai Ndethya where 65 died. Before this, Kenya’s worst railway accident was in 1976 where a train plunged into floodwater near Mtito Andei and instantly killed 29 people.
6. October 1993 Nakuru-Eldoret Multi-vehicle Accident
It happened on October 3, 1993, a grisly multi-vehicle accident took place on the Nakuru-Eldoret road and killed 35 people and injured 42 others. The accident involved a bus, truck & cars
7. 1998 Nithi Bridge Accident
Nithi bridge has been a known black spot for a long time now. On the New Years Eve of 1998, Stage Coach Bus plunged into Nithi River and Killed 56 people on the spot.
8. 2000 Shaggy & Akamba Accident
This was the first major road accident of the 21st century in Kenya. On March 3, 2000, 75 people were killed after Shaggy bus and Akamba Bus collided on each other head-on at Kapkutungor, 15 kilometres from Kericho town and one of them exploded.
9. 2000 Nithi Bridge Accident
On August 24, 2000, 40 people died after a Tawfiq bus plunged into Nithi River in Meru. The bus which was carrying 80 people, was reportedly overloaded by 18 passengers.
10. 2007 Daraja Moja Accident
Draja Moja is the most notorious blackspot in Kisii Town taking into consideration that more than 158 lives have been lost on the same spot in 17 years. One of the worst accidents to ever happen on this 3 km stretch happened on August 31, 2007. A trailer rammed into three matatus which were carrying mourners from a funeral. 29 people died on the spot.
11. 2009 Sachang’wan Accident
This is arguably one of the worst accident we have ever witnessed in Kenya. A normal Saturday it was for the villagers until a 50,000-litre petrol tanker headed to Juba rolled and spilt its content. Villagers then ran to siphon the precious commodity and what followed was catastrophic. More than 91 people were burnt beyond recognition while 22 others succumbed to burns while undergoing treatment.
12. 2013 Mwingi Accident
A bus headed to Mandera from Nairobi lost control at a bend near Mwingi Town, overturned along the Mwingi – Garissa highway and killed 35 people including pedestrians on February 27, 2013. More than 50 people were injured too. 
13. 2013 Ntulele Accident
In the early morning of 29th August 2013, a bus headed to Homabay crashed as the driver tried to negotiate a sharp corner while speeding along the Nairobi-Narok highway at Ntulele. 41 people died on the spot while 33 others were taken to hospitals in Kijabe and Narok.
14. 2016 Karai/Naivasha Accident
On the night of 10th December 2016, a tanker carrying flammable material caught fire and the fire quickly spread to other 10 vehicles which saw 43 people dead. The lorry had lost control after hitting a bump then burst into flames and then spread the disaster along to other nearby vehicles.
15. 2017 Salgaa Accident
The year had just come to an end and many people were travelling to Nairobi. December 31, 2017, is when a Nairobi bound bus from Busia collided head-on with a trailer at Migaa on the famous Salgaa black spot. The early morning accident claimed lived of 36 people.
16. 2018 Fort Ternan Crash
The most recent and horrific road accident yet, it happened on the 10th of September 2018 where a bus belonging to Western Cross Sacco, crashed along the Londiani-Muhoroni road at 5 am at Fort Ternan tunnel in Kericho and killed 50 people. The bus was reportedly overloaded and speeding according to survivors and it was headed to Kakamega.
