A catastrophic bus accident claimed the lives of at least 21 mourners on Friday evening, August 8, 2025, when a school bus overturned at the Coptic Roundabout on the Kisumu-Kakamega Highway in southwestern Kenya. The bus, ferrying passengers returning from a funeral in Kakamega to Kisumu, plunged into a ditch, leaving a trail of devastation in one of Kenya’s deadliest road accidents of 2025.
The 51-seater bus, belonging to AIC Naki High School, lost control at high speed while approaching the notorious Coptic Roundabout, a known accident blackspot in Kisumu County. Nyanza Regional Traffic Commander Peter Maina reported that the driver’s reckless speed caused the vehicle to veer off the road, resulting in the deaths of 10 women, 10 men, and a 10-year-old girl. At least 29 others were injured, with four succumbing to injuries in hospital, raising concerns about the initial death toll reported as 21.
Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene, with passengers thrown from the mangled wreck. Images shared on X showed locals gathering around the overturned bus, highlighting the severity of the crash.
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The incident has drawn scrutiny due to the bus being a school vehicle, banned from private hire under Kenya’s Ministry of Education regulations. Posts on X, including from @DrDennisOuma, criticized the Ministry of Transport and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) for failing to enforce these rules, questioning why the bus was hired to transport mourners.
Kenya’s roads, often narrow and riddled with potholes, contribute to frequent accidents, with speeding cited as a primary cause. This crash follows another deadly incident on Thursday in Naivasha, Nakuru County, where nine workers died in a bus collision at a railway crossing, underscoring the region’s ongoing road safety crisis.
The tragedy has sparked renewed demands for stricter traffic enforcement and infrastructure improvements. Fredrick Ouma Oluga, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Medical Services, confirmed the hospitalization of survivors and emphasized the need for urgent road safety measures. Posts on X echoed public outrage, with @cdrafrica and @UKWELITIMES urging authorities to address the “notoriously dangerous” Kisumu-Kakamega Highway.
As investigations continue, the accident serves as a grim reminder of Kenya’s persistent road safety challenges, with authorities under pressure to prevent future tragedies.
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