21 Dead After School-owned Bus Overturns in Kisumu

At least 21 people are dead and dozens more injured following a road accident at the Coptic Roundabout in Kisumu on Friday evening. 

The crash, involving a bus owned by AIC Naki High School, reignites concerns over the safety of the notorious junction on the Kisumu-Kakamega highway. Nyanza Regional Traffic Commander Peter Maina confirms the bus, carrying mourners returning from a funeral in Nyahera, Kisumu County, overturned at approximately 5 p.m. 

The vehicle, travelling from Kakamega towards Kisumu, reportedly lost control while descending from Riat Hills. It veered into the opposite lane and plunged into a ditch. Eyewitness accounts describe passengers being ejected from the bus upon impact.

The deceased include ten women, ten men, and a ten-year-old girl. Currently, five individuals are in critical condition, while fifteen others, including a minor, sustained less severe injuries. 

All casualties are receiving treatment at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital. Authorities are investigating the precise cause of the accident, and mechanical experts are expected to examine the vehicle. The incident brings renewed scrutiny to the Coptic Roundabout, which is widely regarded as a blackspot. Locals have repeatedly cited the steep descent from Riat Hills, compounded by inadequate signage and flawed road design, as contributing factors to frequent accidents, particularly involving heavy vehicles.

The location has seen a string of similar incidents. In July, two separate accidents claimed lives and left scores injured, involving a bus from Uzima University and a lorry from Vihiga. An earlier Easy Coach bus crash in April resulted in the death of a student.