14 injured after minibus and car collide in Nairobi’s CBD

Fourteen people were injured when a minibus and a car collided on Nairobi’s Kenyatta Avenue Wednesday morning.

The accident involved a City Shuttle bus and a Volkswagen Tiguan car.

The minibus veered off the road, crashed into several traffic light posts and overturned.

Red Cross ambulances rushed injured passengers to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). Eric Bizimana, a survivor who had boarded the vehicle in Kawangware for the city centre, told the Business Daily that the impact of the crash ejected him from the vehicle which veered off the road and toppled over some 50 metres away.

“I was seated in the second last window seat on the left side and the vehicle had almost reached the bus stop when I heard a loud bang and found myself violently thrown out of my seat through the rear exit. When I regained my senses, I was lying on the tarmac with the overturned vehicle just metres ahead of me,” he said.

Mr Bizimana, who had a swelling on the left side of his head, claimed the driver was speeding all the way from Westlands and that some passengers had complained to no avail.

“Shortly before the accident occurred, a female passenger argued with the driver over excessive speed, saying he had passed her alighting point. But he ignored her and increased the speed despite our protests. Shortly afterwards we collided with the oncoming vehicle,” said Mr Bizimana.

The crash happened at 6.30am, according to Nairobi Traffic Commandant Peter Ndung’u. “We received reports of an accident that had occurred between a 33-seater bus and a private car and rushed to the scene. The injured were taken to hospital,” he said.

Mr Ndung’u said there were no fatalities. “Preliminary investigations show that the driver might have lost control of the vehicle. It is, however, too early to pinpoint the exact cause of the crash as it could have been caused by a number of factors including driver error or a tyre burst. The matter is still under investigation,” said Mr Ndung’u.

KNH corporate communications manager Simon Ithae confirmed that the hospital had admitted 14 people, adding that they were in stable condition.

“We have received eight male and six female patients and they have been treated for soft tissue injuries. They are in stable condition but the conductor seems to be more seriously injured than the rest,” said Mr Ithae.