Heavy traffic paralysis hit the Northern Bypass in Nairobi on Tuesday morning after a Super Metro bus collided with a 14-seater matatu near the Kahawa West underpass, causing the bus to overturn and block part of the busy highway.
The early morning accident triggered massive traffic congestion on both sides of the bypass as stranded motorists waited for emergency teams and traffic officers to clear the road.
Images from the scene showed the overturned Super Metro bus lying on its side across a section of the road while the damaged matatu remained nearby. Motorists travelling towards Kahawa West and adjoining routes experienced long delays as traffic movement slowed to a near standstill.
Witnesses said the collision occurred along the underpass section of the bypass before the bus lost balance and overturned, causing panic among passengers and nearby road users.
Emergency response teams and officers from the Kahawa West traffic base quickly arrived at the scene to manage the situation, assist passengers and help redirect traffic away from the affected area.
Authorities urged motorists to avoid the route and seek alternative roads as rescue operations and vehicle removal efforts continued throughout the morning.
At the time of publication, police had not officially confirmed the number of people injured or whether there were fatalities resulting from the accident.
The incident once again highlighted growing concerns over road safety and rising accidents on major highways across the country, especially involving public service vehicles.
Some motorists were forced to divert through neighbouring estates and feeder roads in an attempt to escape the traffic snarl-up, while commuters heading to work experienced significant delays.
The latest crash comes barely a day after another tragic road accident claimed four lives and left seven others injured along the Karatina-Nanyuki Highway in Nyeri County.
According to police reports, the Nairobi-to-Moyale bus involved in the Nyeri accident is suspected to have suffered a tyre burst before overturning several times.
Road safety concerns continue to dominate public discussion following the increasing number of accidents recorded on Kenyan roads in recent months.
Data released earlier by the National Transport and Safety Authority showed that more than 1,189 people lost their lives in road accidents between January and April this year.
During the same period, over 7,000 people were involved in various road crashes across the country, with thousands sustaining serious and minor injuries.
The Northern Bypass accident is expected to renew calls for stricter road safety enforcement, improved driver discipline and enhanced vehicle inspection measures to reduce the growing number of crashes involving public transport vehicles.
