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Gachagua mourns victims of Kisumu-Kakamega Highway accident, urges caution on roads
09th August, 2025 06:38 AM
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has mourned the tragic loss of 21 lives in a grisly road accident along the Kisumu–Kakamega highway.
In a statement on Friday night, August 8, 2025, Gachagua called the incident a heartbreaking reminder of the need for caution on Kenyan roads.
“I am deeply pained by the Kisumu Road crash that has claimed 21 innocent lives today. One life lost is one too many. My family and I send our deepest sympathies to the families who have lost their loved ones in this horrific crash,” he stated.
Furthermore, the Democracy for the Citizens (DCP) party leader has urged all motorists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians to exercise maximum care on the roads.
“I urge all road users to exercise maximum care on the roads. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. We must all be safe on our roads for one another,” he added.
Tragic accident
Confirming the accident, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital stated that 21 others are currently receiving medical treatment following a tragic road accident.
The hospital received the victims after a bus carrying 61 family members overturned near the Coptic roundabout area, marking one of the deadliest accidents in recent times along this route.
In a post shared on its official Facebook page on Friday, August 8, 2025, just hours after the accident, the hospital noted that 19 bodies were transported directly from the accident scene to the facility.
“Staff at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) moved swiftly this evening to receive and save the lives of survivors from a tragic road accident that occurred at the Coptic roundabout area along the Kisumu-Kakamega road. The accident involved a school bus carrying family members who were on their way to Nyakach after attending a burial of their relative in Nyahera, Kisumu West sub-county,” the hospital wrote on Facebook.
Additionally, two unidentified adult males and a male child succumbed to their injuries shortly after arrival at the hospital, bringing the total number of fatalities to 21.
The post further added that the 21 survivors are stable and under continuous observation as they receive specialised care in the hospital’s Emergency and Accident Unit.
“Twenty-one of the occupants are currently stable and receiving treatment at the hospital’s Emergency and Accident Unit. Unfortunately, the hospital also received 19 bodies from the accident scene, while another two unidentified adult males and a male child succumbed to their injuries upon arrival at the hospital. Making the total number of those dead 21.”
The hospital also disclosed that in response to the overwhelming number of victims and concerned relatives, it has established a dedicated help desk next to the emergency unit.
Further emphasising its readiness to manage ongoing emergency needs, the hospital affirmed that it remains on high alert and fully staffed to deal with any additional cases that may arise.
The hospital then called upon all road users to exercise the utmost caution, urging drivers to adhere strictly to traffic regulations and practise safe driving to prevent such devastating incidents in the future.
