Kenya was struck by a series of devastating tragedies in 2025, ranging from deadly road accidents and maritime disasters to fatal plane crashes.
These incidents claimed the lives of dozens of Kenyans and foreign nationals, leaving families in mourning and communities traumatised.
Beyond the human loss, the tragedies sparked renewed national debate on public safety, disaster preparedness, and emergency response systems.
In this article, Nairobileo.co.ke highlights six major tragedies that befell the country in 2025.
Kisumu-Kakamega Road accident
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A grisly road accident on August 8, 2025, claimed the lives of 25 people along the Kisumu-Kakamega highway.
The tragedy occurred when a school bus, which was ferrying mourners from Nyahera in Kisumu County, rolled while attempting to navigate a corner.
Twenty-one victims died on the spot, while four others succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment in the hospital.
Following the tragedy, President William Ruto condoled with the families who lost their loved ones and directed traffic enforcement officers to swiftly act against any negligence that may have contributed to the accident and called for stricter enforcement of road safety measures across the country.
“We ask traffic enforcers to act swiftly to bring to book those responsible for any acts of negligence leading to the accident and address all traffic violations to ensure road safety across the country,” Ruto said.
Tudor Creek Accident
A boat carrying 22 people on October 10, 2025, capsized in the Indian Ocean during the East African Ocean Festival at Tudor Watersports.
The boat operated by members of the Kijiweni Youth Group was near the finishing line when the group members allegedly stood up as the boat was still in motion.
As a result, the boat lost its balance and capsized. 19 members were immediately rescued while 3 went missing.
Following the incident, Kenya Navy personnel, in collaboration with other government agencies, the Kenya Red Cross, the Mombasa County Government, and members of the local community, launched a coordinated search and rescue operation led by the Kenya Navy Diving Unit to locate the missing persons in the suspected areas.
The first body was found near the scene of the accident, stuck in mangrove trees, while the other bodies were traced 2 days later near Nyali Bridge.
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Mwihoko Plane Crash
A Cessna Citation XLS plane operated by AMREF on August 7, 2025, crashed in Mwihoko, Githurai 45.
The plane had taken off at the Wilson Airport in Nairobi and was heading to Hargeisa, Somalia, when the incident happened.
The plane, which had four people on board, crashed into a residential building near the A.I.P.C.A. Ngatho church, killing all of them and two other people on the ground.
Transport CS Davis Chirchir, on September 5, revealed that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID) deployed investigators to establish the cause of the accident.
The United States’ National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB) were also notified and each assigned representatives to support Kenya’s investigation.
"The AAID investigators recovered, isolated, and preserved the aircraft's Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) as found at the crash site. The FDR and CVR have been dispatched to the United States of America's National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recorders laboratory for examination, readout, and analysis in order to finalise the investigation," said CS Chirchir.
Cheptangulgei Accident
15 People were killed on April 5, 2025, after they were involved in a road accident at Cheptangulgei along the Kericho-Kaplong road in Bomet County.
The fatal crash involved three vehicles: a personal car, a 14-seater matatu, and a truck, which collided with each other.
Several passengers died on the spot due to the impact of the collision, while emergency services rushed to the scene to assist the injured.
The 11 others were seriously injured and were rushed to the Kaplong and Kapkatet Hospitals for medical care.
Marakwet Mudslide
A devastating mudslide struck Murkutwo village in Elgeyo Marakwet on October 31, sweeping several homes.
The mudslide resulted in the death of 37 people, and over 10 others were hospitalised due to injuries.
Following the incident, the government deployed a multi-agency team comprising the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), National police Service (NPS), National Youth Service (NYS), and the Kenya Red Cross to locate the missing persons.
The government distributed donations and food supplies to the families affected by the landslides and cleared medical bills for those who were hospitalised.
Kwale Plane Crash
Twelve were killed on October 28 after a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft crashed in the Tsimba Golini area, Kwale County.
The ill-fated aircraft was operating a scheduled flight from Diani Airport in Kwale to Kichwa Tembo in the Maasai Mara when the tragedy occurred.
The plane was operating under Mombasa Air Safari, a Kenyan airline that provides regional charter and safari flights across the country.
The victims of the plane crash included eight Hungarian nationals, two Germans, and one Kenyan pilot.
