Nairobi — A multiple-car carrier overturned in Kibwezi on the Mombasa highway, damaging brand new cars that were destined for Nairobi.

The accident also left the driver and his assistant with injuries, police said.

Most car importers opt for a car carrier for safety as opposed to having them driven on the 400-kilometer journey from Mombasa to Nairobi or onward to other destinations including landlocked neighbouring countries like Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

On Thursday, one such carrier overturned in Kibwezi leaving all the cars it was ferrying destroyed, most of them badly.

The cause of the accident was not immediately clear, but they were later loaded on another carrier and transported to Nairobi where owners are still counting losses.

"It is the last thing you want to hear when expecting a unit (vehicle) from Mombasa," said James Ngung'u a car dealer.

"I am expecting some units from Mombasa and so when I heard that there is an accident, I got so worried because I did not know what to tell the owners, luckily we were not affected."

For those affected, he said, "they will have to seek guidance from their insurers and the carrier but I can assure you it is not as easy. It is a complex matter," he said.