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Pain and tears as families identify kin killed in Nakuru-Eldoret Highway accident
04th July, 2026 08:13 PM
Families have identified the seven people who died in the road accident at the Nyanja area along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway. The crash, which occurred on Friday, July 3, 2026, at around 8:30 PM, involved a passenger vehicle and a trailer. The victims were travelling towards Eldoret when the collision happened.
According to the families, among those who died are a teacher and an Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) employee.
Betty Rotich, the IEBC official, was returning from a work assignment in Naivasha. Her brother, Caleb Rotich, noted that the family lost contact with her at around 8:00 PM on Friday, July 3, 2026.
“When we woke up today, we started making calls ourselves. A gentleman answered the phone and told us that the owner of the phone had been involved in an accident and was at Londiani Sub-County Hospital,” Rotich stated.
Relatives recount the painful search
The mood at the hospital was heavy as more families arrived to identify their relatives. Stephen Odunga, who lost his sister Susan Odunga, described how station clerks directed him to Mau Summit Police Station, where officers guided him to the mortuary, where he confirmed his sister had died.
“They told me she was sitting in seat number four, so they referred me to Mau Summit Police Station. When I got to Mau Summit Police Station, I found an officer there, we spoke, and he directed me this way. I came here, looked around, made enquiries, and finally, I found out that she was among those who did not survive,” Odunga narrated.
Speaking to local media, Londiani Sub-County Hospital Administrator Collins Kipkoech confirmed that the facility received the bodies and conducted autopsies on three of them on Saturday, July 4, 2026.
“We’ve been able to identify three bodies and conducted autopsy on them this morning, and we were able to ascertain that most sustained severe head injuries because of the high impact trauma. Five survived. Three were referred to Nakuru Coptic, Salgaa, one was referred to Nakuru PGH, and another one was referred to a private hospital in Kericho,” he said.
Traffic police issue safety warning
The stretch of road where the accident occurred has a history of fatal collisions, raising concerns among local residents and motorists.
Mau Summit Police Commander Willy Lagat noted that the section becomes particularly hazardous during bad weather. “Nyanja has been a black spot, especially during rainy seasons. So, we really ask the motorist to be careful when they approach the bridge,” Lagat said.
Police have launched investigations to determine the cause of the accident.
