By Peter Ochieng
Families of five people are mourning their kin, who died in a road accident near Salgaa, along the Nakuru – Eldoret highway, on Saturday morning.
The accident occurred about 3am, involving a Toyota Hiace matatu belonging to Eldoret Cross Roads Shuttle Sacco and a trailer. The matatu was heading to Nakuru from Eldoret.
Witnesses and police say the matatu rammed into the rear of a mobile trailer. The driver of the trailer reportedly sped away after the incident.
Four people died on the spot, while another died in hospital. According to the Kenya Red Cross Society, 8 people got injured and were rushed to hospital.
“Eight injured people were taken to Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital, thanks to the joint efforts of the Kenya Police, Kenya Red Cross and well-wishers,” said the humanitarian agency.
Bodies of the diseased were moved to the Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital morgue, pending identification and postmortem.
For the past one month, the rate of fatal accidents had gone down, with floods across the country turning into a major cause of death.
However, statistics by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) indicate that more than 1,400 people have died and tens of others injured in separate accidents, since January.
As per Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Roads and Transport Kipchumba Murkomen, many of the road accidents happening in the country are a result of outright recklessness.
“Pedestrians, especially in the big cities, continue to bear the biggest brunt of road deaths and this must stop. That is why, even as we rein in errant drivers, we are installing foot bridges in many parts of the city including Mathare, Mukuru and Kibera,” said the CS in an online post on May 19, 2024.
There is also fear that with much of our infrastructure destroyed by floods, the CS said, road crashes could worsen.
The CS indicated that with collective responsibility, this can be controlled as the government begins restoration of roads and bridges countrywide.