Forty Lukenya University students survived a road accident after the 46-seater matatu they were travelling in was swept away by floods at River Kyamela on Emali-Ukia road in Makueni County on Friday.
Authorities said no one was injured in the 9 am accident.
According to Makueni County Police Commander Joseph Ole Napeiyan, the students were travelling from the university’s campus in Makueni to Nairobi when the incident happened.
The matatu belonging to Mtito Shuttle sacco usually plies the route via Nairobi-Mombasa highway, but on Friday the matatu driver diverted onto the all-weather Emali-Ukia road to avoid a traffic snarl up. A truck had overturned at Salama township blocking the busy highway.
Good Samaritans responded quickly and rescued the passengers and assisted in recovering their luggage.
“All the 40 university students and four other passengers have been accounted for,” said Mr Napeiyan.
The students boarded another vehicle provided by the university and proceeded on with their journey.
Efforts to remove the matatu from the river bed were underway Friday afternoon.
Mr Napeiyan called on public service vehicles to strike a balance between rushing to make a kill during this festive season and the safety of their passengers in the wake of the ongoing rains.
He cautioned motorists against wading through flooded rivers.