A school trip turned tragic on Friday evening after a bus carrying students and teachers from St Augustine Mumbuni Secondary School was involved in a serious accident in Machakos County.
The bus, which had 48 students and 3 teachers on board, was returning from an educational trip to Masinga Dam when the driver reportedly lost control along the Kivandini–Masinga Road at Mutwamwaki Ridge. Witnesses said the vehicle rolled several times before landing in a ditch.
Residents living near the accident scene were the first to respond. They rushed to help those trapped inside the wreckage before police officers and a rescue team arrived.
The injured were quickly taken to Matuu Level 4 Hospital for treatment. Fortunately, no deaths were reported at the time of the incident, though several students sustained serious injuries.
Images shared online showed the bus lying at the bottom of a ditch, its front completely smashed and its windshield shattered.
Parents and guardians who heard about the incident hurried to the hospital and the scene, fearing for the safety of their children.
Preliminary reports indicate that the brakes of the bus may have failed, leading to the loss of control.
Residents claimed the road, which is narrow and winding, has been a black spot for years, with several accidents reported in the same area.
The Machakos crash is the latest in a worrying string of accidents involving school buses across Kenya.
On September 12, a pupil lost their life while 13 others were injured in Mihango’s Chokaa Estate in Nairobi. That crash happened when a school bus veered off the road and hit a child who was walking by.
Just weeks earlier, another group of students in Vihiga County sustained injuries after their bus crashed along the Kisumu–Busia highway. The vehicle was ferrying learners and teachers headed to the Kenya National Music Festival in Meru.
Back in March, pupils were also injured in Machakos after a bus overturned along Mombasa Road in Sabaki, Mavoko. Witnesses blamed slippery conditions on the highway, while others pointed to reckless driving.
These repeated incidents have raised questions about the safety standards of school transport, the condition of vehicles, and the training of drivers entrusted with young lives.
Parents of the Machakos school expressed their shock and demanded answers.
“Our children left home for a safe school trip, and now we are being told they are in hospital. Something must be done to protect students,” one parent said outside Matuu Level 4 Hospital.
Local leaders have also called for immediate measures to improve road safety. They urged schools to ensure regular inspection of buses and proper vetting of drivers before allowing them to transport students.
Road safety experts argue that stricter policies are needed to protect school-going children. They suggest installing speed governors and tracking devices on all school buses to monitor movement.
Others are pushing for mandatory mechanical inspections before and after every long trip. The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has repeatedly urged schools to observe safety rules, but enforcement has remained a challenge, especially in rural areas.
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