NAIROBI, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were killed and nine others injured in a road accident along a busy highway in northwest Kenya, the police confirmed on Sunday.

Naivasha deputy divisional police commander John Kwasa said the Saturday night accident involved a minibus known locally as matatu and a truck which clashed head on along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.

"The matatu driver died while being rushed to the Naivasha-based healthy facility. Initial investigations indicate the matatu driver was at fault, occasioning the accident," Kwasa said.

The accident at Nyakairu center, some 15kms from Naivasha town occurred after the truck hit head on the incoming matatu killing five people on the spot. The sixth, a driver, died while being rushed to the Naivasha sub-county hospital.

Kwasa called on drivers to be cautious adding that speeding and careless overtaking was the cause of major accidents on the road.

An estimated 3,000 Kenyans die in road accidents annually despite concerted efforts by the state and the private sector to promote safety on the highways, according to the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA).