Several passengers are feared dead after a Toyota Sienta car veered off the Embu-Meru Highway at Kaura Mijii and plunged into a ditch on Thursday morning, August 13, 2026.
A grisly road accident along the Embu-Meru Highway at Kaura Mijii left several passengers feared dead on Thursday morning. The vehicle involved, a Toyota Sienta car, was traveling from Chuka towards Chogoria before the driver lost control between Giampampo Stage and Mitheru. The car veered off the busy highway and descended into a ditch, sustaining extensive structural damage.
Witness accounts and images seen of the wreckage show parts of the vehicle, including the engine and wheels, torn off and scattered across the scene. The occupants were part of a group traveling from Ngara in Nairobi to Tigania in Meru to attend the burial of a business associate. Authorities reported that the exact number of people who died or sustained injuries had not been immediately established, while rescue efforts and investigations into the circumstances of the crash remained ongoing.
Traffic Disruptions and Local Rescue Efforts
The sudden crash caused major traffic disruption on that section of the Embu-Meru Highway as local residents and passing motorists stopped to assist with emergency rescue operations. The severe damage to the Toyota Sienta underscored the heavy impact of the fall into the roadside ditch.
This latest incident intensifies safety concerns in a region that has recently experienced a noticeable rise in road crashes. Government authorities have stepped up traffic enforcement and road safety measures along the Mwea-Embu Highway in Kirinyaga County following a deadly collision at Murubara two weeks prior that claimed the lives of 10 people.
Official Enforcement Response in Mwea East
Speaking on Wednesday, Mwea East Deputy County Commissioner Fred Ayieko announced that traffic police had been deployed along the highway to strictly enforce traffic rules and curb reckless driving. Ayieko delivered the update after meeting with relatives of nine of the 10 victims from the earlier Murubara crash at his offices in Mwea East.
Authorities confirmed that the driver of the parcel truck involved in the Murubara collision remained in custody at Wang’uru Police Station after a court granted police a 14-day window to complete their ongoing investigations.
