Students among five killed in Salama Highway crash during half-term travel

A routine half-term journey home ended in heartbreak on Saturday after students were among more than five people killed in a horrific head-on collision at Salama Downtown along the busy Nairobi–Mombasa Highway in Makueni county.

The afternoon crash, involving a Naekana PSV matatu and a lorry, occurred amid heavy rains that witnesses say reduced visibility and left the road dangerously slippery.

Among those who lost their lives were two students from Emali Township who had been travelling home to spend the short school break with their families.

At least one other student — a learner from Ukia Girls High School — remains in critical condition at Sultan Hamud Hospital, where several injured passengers are receiving treatment.

READ ALSO:

UNESCO warns 40% of learners still lack education in mother tongue as world marks International Mother Language Day

Images from the scene painted a grim picture of the tragedy: the matatu lay overturned by the roadside, its front section crushed from the impact.

Police officers and residents worked frantically to rescue survivors from the wreckage. Locals said the absence of ambulances delayed evacuation efforts, forcing officers and good Samaritans to improvise transport to rush the injured to nearby health facilities.

Witnesses linked the accident to poor visibility caused by ongoing rains and the hazardous state of the highway at Salama, a stretch long associated with frequent crashes.

Residents expressed anger at what they termed the Kenya National Highways Authority’s repeated inaction, accusing it of failing to redesign and widen the dangerous section despite numerous past accidents.

For families in Emali and surrounding areas, the tragedy has cast a dark cloud over what should have been a joyful reunion. Instead of welcoming their children home for half-term, parents are mourning lives cut short and keeping anxious vigil at hospital bedsides.

As investigations begin, calls are growing louder for urgent safety interventions on the Nairobi–Mombasa Highway to prevent further loss of young lives.

By Kimwele Mutuku

You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE  and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.

>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories

 >>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape

>>> Click here to stay ahead with the latest national news.