Nairobi - At least 29 people died and 24 others were seriously injured in Kenya Monday after a truck collided head on with a bus, police said.

The accident occurred shortly after midnight on the main road between the capital Nairobi and the coastal town of Mombasa.

The two vehicles were travelling at high speed at the time of the collision, killing 26 bus passengers and three onboard the lorry on impact.

Road accidents are common in the East African nation, where reckless driving, often involving alcohol, combines with a run-down road network to create deadly conditions.

Police officers are notorious for accepting bribes to allow vehicles that are not roadworthy to stay on the roads.

Around 250 people died in road accidents in December.

President Mwai Kibaki offered his condolences to those killed in the crash and called on drivers to exercise greater care. (dpa)