Kajiado County, Kenya – Commuters along Magadi Road were left stranded on the morning of 18 August after a Kanash company bus veered off the highway near the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) and plunged into a roadside ditch. Witnesses said the driver lost control while trying to avoid an oncoming vehicle, sending the 62‑seater coach crashing through guardrails and into a culvert.

Emergency teams from Kajiado County and the Kenya Red Cross arrived quickly, towing the bus and assisting passengers, who escaped without serious injuries. Traffic police closed one lane of the busy highway for several hours, leading to long tailbacks as motorists searched for alternate routes. The accident has reignited concerns about road safety and the condition of public‑service vehicles, particularly on the steep, winding stretches of Magadi Road.

The incident occurred less than a year after another bus veered off a nearby section of the road and plunged into the Mbagathi River, killing dozens of passengers. Residents say buses frequently overlap on the descending slope and that poor signage and lighting make the area hazardous, especially at night. Authorities have promised to install speed bumps and improve enforcement to deter reckless driving.

Kajiado County Transport Chief Officer Jane Mpario urged operators to ensure that drivers are well‑trained and vehicles are regularly serviced. She also called on the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to increase spot checks and crack down on overloading. The NTSA said it has launched an investigation into the cause of the latest crash.

While no fatalities were reported in this instance, passengers expressed relief and appealed to the government to fast‑track the expansion of Magadi Road, which links Nairobi to the southern Rift Valley. Observers hope that lessons learned from the accident will spur comprehensive reforms to Kenya’s road safety framework.