Narok County Police Commander John Kizito has called on motorists to be vigilant while driving by ensuring their vehicles are in good condition and follow traffic regulations to avoid causing accidents.
This is after eight people lost their lives while four others were left nursing serious injuries after the vehicles they were traveling in were involved in a grisly accident at Katakala area on the Narok- Bomet Highway a few kilometers from Narok town.
The accident that occurred yesterday (Friday) morning involved a Toyota Hiace Matatu vehicle belonging to Ena Coach Company that was being driven from the Bomet side towards the Narok Direction and a Mercedes Actros Trailer being driven from Narok town side towards the Bomet side.
According to the Police boss, the Trailer burst its right front tyre while reaching the point of the accident causing the driver, Moses Kibiti, 45, to lose control of the vehicle and hit the oncoming matatu vehicle killing seven people on the spot.
One other person succumbed while undergoing treatment at the Narok County Referral Hospital where four others are nursing injuries.
“The driver of the Matatu vehicle was among those who lost their lives. The driver of the trailer sustained serious head and hand injuries and is undergoing treatment,” said Kizito.
The bodies were taken to Narok County Referral Hospital mortuary for preservation awaiting to be transported to the respective counties for burial plans.
While sending his condolences to the bereaved families, the county police commander said it was unfortunate that most of the deceased were young people who are the future of the country.
“We condole with the families that lost their loved ones. I call upon motorists to be careful to avoid causing deaths along the smooth highway,” he said.
Denis Nyamwaro, who witnessed the accident said the matatu vehicle was not speeding at the time of the accident but was run over by the trailer that had lost control.
“The incident was traumatizing as the matatu vehicle was completely damaged by the trailer. The few who survived the accident risked death narrowly,” he said.
According to the Prudence Foundation, Road crashes are one of the leading causes of death in Kenya. In 2021, National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) reported that the number of road accidents had risen at an alarming rate, from 3707 in 2020 to 4347 in 2021 representing a 17.3 per cent increase.
