12 people killed in Nithi Bridge accident

Confirming the incident, Tharaka Nithi police commander Zacheous Ng'eno said that the accident involved two motor vehicles, a matatu and a pickup, one heading towards Nairobi and the other heading towards Meru.

Commander Ng'eno added that 12 bodies belonging to 10 adults and 2 children have so far been recovered from the scene.

"Seemingly the motor vehicle that was coming from the Meru direction is not a motor vehicle that regularly uses this road. We may assume that the driver did not keep to his lane as was expected of him," he said.

Two people survived the accident and have been taken to nearby hospitals for immediate medical attention.

This comes barely a year after the then Transport Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen, now handling the Sports and Youth Affairs docket, announced a plan to straighten the road to eliminate the blindspot that has led to the loss of many lives.

"We could design that road to make it straight from the bridge up as you go towards Meru. We have a plan in the ministry of ensuring that our highways are monitored by digital cameras," said Murkomen in 2023.