Several passengers were injured when a matatu flipped over along Haile Selassie Avenue in Nairobi on the morning of Friday.
Preliminary reports indicate that the vehicle lost control when the driver’s brakes failed while attempting to avoid another car. Traveling at a high speed, the matatu then mounted a pavement and flipped, causing panic among passengers and pedestrians.
Bystanders rushed to the scene, helping to extract the injured from the overturned vehicle. Emergency services were yet to arrive as authorities had not released an official statement at the time of reporting.
The Jan 30 accident temporarily disrupted traffic along the busy corridor, which sees hundreds of personal cars and public service vehicles commuting in and out of Nairobi’s Central Business District.
Haile Selassie Avenue has undergone recent repairs but remains rougher than surrounding roads, prompting warnings from motorists that the uneven surface can compromise vehicle balance and traction, especially at high speeds.
This is not the first serious incident along the avenue. In March 2024, multiple matatus overturned at various points, leaving several commuters injured. Another accident occurred near the Haile Selassie roundabout in January 2025. One of the deadliest crashes on the stretch was in September 2018, when a chain collision involving several vehicles, including a school van, killed two people and injured at least 19 others.
Most accidents along this corridor happen during peak morning hours and are often linked to speeding, brake failure, loss of vehicle control, and congestion at intersections and roundabouts.