Two people were killed on the spot and at least three others seriously injured in a devastating early Friday June 27th morning crash involving a pickup truck and a fuel tanker at Kiongwani, along the Nairobi–Mombasa highway.

The pickup was ferrying avocados to Nairobi while the tanker was headed in the opposite direction when the two collided head-on in what witnesses described as a “gruesome and loud crash.” The two passengers in the pickup died instantly.

“The wreckage was horrifying. We heard a loud bang, and when we rushed to the scene, the pickup was completely mangled,” said Peter Kilonzo, a nearby shopkeeper.

The injured drivers of both vehicles were rushed to Sultan Hamud Sub-County Hospital before being transferred to Makindu Level 5 Hospital for specialized care. Authorities have yet to release their identities or provide an update on their condition.

Just hours later, another accident snarled traffic at Maungu in Taita Taveta County, involving a Canter truck and an LPG tanker.

According to the Long Distance Drivers and Conductors Association, the tanker overturned, causing partial road blockage, while the Canter appeared to have been shoved to the wrong side, possibly during an overtaking maneuver.

Images circulating online showed the tanker’s cabin heavily damaged, though no fatalities had been reported as of the time of publication. The condition of both drivers remains unclear.

This latest spate of accidents has reignited concerns over the safety of the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, a key transport artery prone to frequent and often deadly collisions.

Just last month, on May 13, a similar tragedy at Malili claimed two lives when a matatu headed to Zaina Falls in Nyeri crashed.

“These tragic accidents are becoming far too common,” lamented a statement from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), which has previously cited reckless driving, speeding, improper overtaking and poor road conditions as major contributors to the carnage.