One person is dead and several pupils are nursing injuries after a matatu carrying learners from Ngondi Junior School overturned along Maiella Road in Naivasha on Friday evening, June 12, 2026, in a crash that has once again raised urgent questions about the safety of school transport in Kenya.
The vehicle was returning students from an academic activity at Maiella Main Comprehensive School when it reportedly lost its brakes and plunged into a valley along the stretch of road that local residents have long described as being in dangerously poor condition.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that the driver of the ill-fated matatu died as a result of the crash, though police had yet to issue an official statement on casualty figures at the time of publication. Around 10 learners are reported to have sustained soft tissue injuries, while others suffered fractures. Images from the scene showed the 14-seater matatu lying upside down beside the road, its windscreen shattered, seats dismantled, and tyres deflated — a stark testament to the violence of the impact.
Emergency responders and members of the public rushed to the scene to assist the victims, who were subsequently transported to the Naivasha District Hospital Trauma Centre, where they are currently receiving treatment.
While the exact cause of the accident is yet to be officially established, preliminary reports from first responders point to brake failure compounded by the dilapidated state of Maiella Road as the likely triggers. Residents say the road has a long history of being a death trap and have repeatedly petitioned authorities for its rehabilitation, so far without results.
The Naivasha crash is not an isolated incident. Just two days earlier, on Wednesday, June 10, students from Igumori Secondary School sustained injuries after their bus skidded on a wet section of road near Karii Market in Mbeere North, Embu County, and overturned into a valley. The two incidents within 48 hours have renewed calls for the strict enforcement of existing regulations, including the government’s directive prohibiting the transportation of students after 6:00 PM.
Critics have also pointed to the common practice of schools hiring commercial matatus — which are rarely subjected to the mechanical audits required for dedicated school transport — as a major contributing risk factor that authorities must urgently address.
The National Transport and Safety Authority and the Ministry of Education are expected to face increased pressure to act decisively in the wake of the tragedy, with Kenyans demanding accountability and concrete measures to protect learners on the road.
