Bus Driver Charged With Causing Deaths of 2 Students, Injuring 10 Others

A bus driver has been charged with causing the deaths of two Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) students and injuring 10 other passengers in a fatal road accident in Awasi, Kisumu County.

In a statement on Thursday, October 22, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said Jotham Murumba Wanjala faced 12 counts, including two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, following the August 2026 accident.

"The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has charged a bus driver with 12 counts, including two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, following a fatal road accident that claimed the lives of two Technical University of Mombasa students in Awasi, Kisumu County," the statement read.

Wanjala appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Hon. Evelyn Makungu Onzere at Nyando Law Courts, where he denied all the charges against him.

The prosecution, led by Principal Prosecution Counsel Douglas Moseti, outlined the two counts relating to the deaths of the students, Evance Odiwour Otieno and Rooney Owek Gakumba.

"The prosecution, led by Principal Prosecution Counsel Douglas Moseti, charged Wanjala with two counts of causing the deaths of passengers Evance Odiwour Otieno and Rooney Owek Gakumba by dangerous driving, contrary to Section 46 of the Traffic Act, Cap. 403, Laws of Kenya," the statement added.

In addition to the two charges, Wanjala faced 10 counts of driving without due care and attention under Section 49(1) of the Traffic Act. 

According to the ODPP, the charges arose from injuries sustained by 10 passengers during the accident.

The prosecution said the driver allegedly operated the bus in a manner that endangered other road users before losing control of the vehicle.

"The court heard that the accused drove the motor vehicle at a speed and in a manner that endangered the public before losing control of the bus, which veered off the road," the statement further read.

The accident occurred on August 7, 2026, in the Boya area along the Ahero-Awasi Highway in Nyando Sub-County, Kisumu County.

Following the court appearance, Wanjala was granted a bond of Ksh 500,000, with no alternative cash bail option provided.

The case will be mentioned on November 5, 2026, for further directions.

This comes a month after a matatu driver was charged with causing the deaths of three people in an alleged dangerous driving incident along Enterprises Road in Nairobi.

In a statement on Thursday, September 17, the ODPP said it charged Sammy Murigi Maina over the deaths of Charles Brandy Wahome, Tamia Kalekya Nyambura and Edwin Kago.

The prosecution told the court that the incident occurred on June 3, 2026, at around 8.00pm along Enterprises Road, opposite KCB Bank in Nairobi County.

Maina was allegedly driving motor vehicle registration number KDU 887C, an Isuzu minibus operated by Risen Sacco, when he drove recklessly and dangerously, resulting in the deaths of the three victims.

The DPP said the manner in which the vehicle was allegedly driven amounted to a prohibited driving style under the Traffic Act.

"The driver is said to have driven the vehicle in a dangerous format commonly referred to as “Manyoka” style contrary to Section 42(3) of the Traffic Act," the statement read.

According to the ODPP, Maina faces additional charges relating to his alleged conduct while driving the vehicle on the public road.

The prosecution accused him of driving a motor vehicle on a public road without due care and attention on two additional counts. He also faces a separate charge of driving an unroadworthy motor vehicle on a public road.

The prosecution further linked the accused's alleged actions to injuries sustained by two other people during the incident.

"The prosecution further alleges that his actions occasioned bodily harm to Eugene Ongundi and Domnic Mulwa," the statement added.

Maina denied all the charges brought against him.