Repeat tragedy: 15 killed at notorious blackspot on Nairobi-Nakuru highway
A fresh wave of grief swept through the country’s transport sector on Monday morning, April 14, 2025, after a deadly crash claimed three more lives at the notorious Manguo blackspot along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway — the third fatal accident in just four days on the same treacherous stretch.
According to eyewitness accounts, the accident occurred at approximately 5:16 am when a 14-seater matatu, being to Trippin Luxury shuttle, collided with an Isuzu canter truck in the foggy pre-dawn hours.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Mary Gachie, the Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) in Limuru, confirmed the incident.
“Three people died in the crash. Nine others sustained various degrees of injury and were rushed to nearby medical facilities for treatment,” she said.
Stretch stained by blood
The Manguo area, located just outside Limuru town, has become a symbol of tragic repetition – a place where road safety warnings seem to go unheeded and lives are routinely lost to what locals now call the cursed bend.
Monday’s tragedy marks the third deadly accident at or near Manguo in less than 96 hours.
On Thursday evening, April 10, 2025, five people were killed in the same area when a private 14-seater vehicle suffered a tire burst and crashed.
Three victims died on the spot, while two others succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment.
Kamandura junction
That devastation was followed less than 12 hours later by yet another crash – this time at the Kamandura junction, a mere three kilometers from Manguo.
A 14-seater matatu belonging to Kijabeline Sacco lost control, rolled multiple times, and left seven people dead – five perished at the scene while two others succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment.
Several more were rushed to Tigoni Hospital for emergency care.
With Monday’s accident, the death toll along this 5-kilometer stretch of the Nairobi-Nakuru highway has risen to 15 in less than a week — a stark indictment of the country’s road safety enforcement and infrastructure oversight.
How many more?
Residents and road users are growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of tangible action to address what has become one of Kenya’s deadliest road zones.
Calls for speed bumps, warning signage, and better lighting have long gone unanswered, and questions are now being asked of both the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) and the traffic police.
Local leaders and civic groups are calling for an immediate safety audit of the Nairobi-Nakuru corridor, one of the busiest and most critical transport arteries in the country.
The country continues to grapple with one of the highest road fatality rates in Africa.
According to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), more than 4,000 people died on Kenyan roads in 2024 – a figure experts warn could rise further in 2025 if urgent interventions are not implemented.
Human error, speeding, unroadworthy vehicles, and poorly maintained roads continue to dominate the list of contributing factors.
But in blackspots like Manguo, it’s a toxic combination of all these – amplified by state inaction.
As authorities commence yet another investigation into Monday’s crash, Kenyans are once again left mourning and wondering whether the country’s roads will ever be safe.
For families of the victims, the answers may come too late.
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Martin Oduor
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