Ten people from Nyamira County have died in a gruesome road accident that occurred Sunday night along the Oyugis–Sondu Road in Homa Bay County.
The tragic incident happened barely 24 hours after another crash that claimed eight lives along the Nyamira–Ikonge Road on Saturday night, bringing the weekend death toll to 18.
Rachuonyo East Sub-County Police Commander Laban Omol confirmed the latest accident, saying it occurred at around 8 p.m. and involved a lorry and a Nissan matatu.
“The accident happened when the driver of a lorry carrying cement heading toward Sondu attempted to overtake a Nissan private vehicle coming from the opposite direction. Both drivers could not give way because of deep ditches on either side of the road, resulting in a head-on collision that caused the instant death of 10 people,” said Commander Omol.
He added that several others sustained serious injuries and were rushed to nearby health facilities for treatment.
Commander Omol urged motorists to observe traffic rules and exercise caution on the roads to prevent further loss of lives. He emphasized the need for drivers to avoid speeding, overloading, and careless overtaking, especially during the festive season when travel intensity increases.
“Drivers must follow traffic regulations and heed road signage warnings. The section of the road where the crash happened had warning signs from KENHA advising drivers against using free gears, but many continue to ignore them,” Omol cautioned.
Bokiambori Assistant Chief Joseph Nyambati confirmed that the ten people who perished were members of the same family.
“The deceased were returning from a wedding ceremony for a relative in western Kenya when they met their untimely death,” said Nyambati.
Local leaders and residents have sent condolence messages to the affected family, describing the twin accidents as deeply tragic. They called on road users to be extra cautious to curb the rising number of accidents during the festive season.
By Deborah Bochere
