Black Saturday claims 14 lives in road crashes

The country suffered a tragic Saturday on the roads, with 14 people dead in two separate traffic accidents, according to police reports in Nakuru and Makueni counties.

In Nakuru, six people were killed in a road accident at Kekopey in Gilgil along Nairobi-Nakuru Highway in the morning.

Gilgil sub-County police commander Wilstone Mwakio said the driver of a trailer heading from Nairobi to Nakuru lost control and rammed into a matatu, christened the Great Rift Sacco.

“Five people died on the spot. One died while recuperating in hospital. Seven survived and are currently on treatment,” said Mwakio.

In the second accident that occurred at Konza, along Mombasa-Nairobi highway, Makueni County, eight people were killed after a matatu they were travelling in from Nairobi, belonging to Naekana Route 139 Sacco collided with a Tahmeed bus.

Survivors told The Sunday Standard that the driver of the matatu was speeding and drove recklessly.

Meshack Mutua, one of the passengers who boarded the matatu at Nairobi’s River Road stage, said the driver was reckless.

Mutua who was heading to Emali in Makueni said passengers were complaining about how the driver was driving.

“Most of the passengers were asleep but fortunately I was awake and witnessed the ordeal. At the Konza Technopolis stretch of Mombasa-Nairobi highway the driver tried to overtake a lorry and that is where the matatu collided head-on with an oncoming bus that was headed towards Nairobi direction,” said Mutua.

Passengers were thrown out of the vehicle on impact, with survivors suffering multiple injuries.

They said an  ambulance from Machakos county government arrived at the scene late.

“In such circumstances ambulances need to be quick in arriving at the scene. It delayed in evacuating those injured thus worsened the situation,” Mutua said

 At the hospital, 11 people were treated, two succumbed to injuries. Among the nine survivors, five were treated and discharged.

Mukaa sub-County police commander Hussein Abduba said six people died on the spot following the crash.

“Following the accident six bodies were collected at the scene. These were three males and three females. Unfortunately, two other people died immediately they arrived at the hospital,” Hussein said on phone.

Agnes Wanjiru, another survivor, who sustained injuries, recounted how she was woken up from deep sleep by a loud bung only to find the vehicle’s roof ripped off with passengers crying in pain.

“When I woke up I realised the vehicle’s roof was open. The impact of the accident had taken off the roof section of the matatu. I tried to stand but I was unable since my hip section was so painful,” Wanjiru spoke from her hospital bed.

All those who died were from the 14 seater matatu.

In the Nakuru accident, Mwakio, the police boss, said two of the passengers in the matatu who escaped without injuries were children, four were in good condition but one was in a critical condition.

He said the trailer, loaded with goods, also rammed into another matatu and another trailer, but no injuries were reported.

Mwakio urged drivers to be responsible, careful and adhere to the traffic rules, especially during back-to-school starting next week.

Shadrack Almasi, the driver of the matatu said that he left Nairobi heading to Bungoma at 7 am. He said at Kikopey braked after noticing a trailer that had broken down in front of him.

“I saw a trailer in front of me that was slightly on the road and sheep crossing the road, when I reduced the speed, another trailer hit my vehicle from behind,” said Almasi.

He said he had 16 passengers and his vehicle was in good condition and he was later informed that the trailer which hit his vehicle had lost its brakes. He said he heard that the driver of the trailer fled.

Wycliffe Simiyu, a survivor, said he was lucky that he and his two sons had sat in front and they survived the accidents without injuries.

He however, said that one of his friends who had sat near the driver, lost his wife and child and his other child is in critical condition.

“We heard a loud bang and our vehicle was pushed and it almost hit another trailer. We are very lucky to be alive,” he said.

Samuel Maturu, the driver of the other trailer that was hit from behind, said his vehicle had broken down and it was being repaired.

He said that although the trailer that caused the accident hit his from behind, it stopped the momentum.

“My vehicle helped reduce a dangerous accident because the trailer could have hit a fleet of vehicles and killed many people,” said Maturu.

Amidst his attempt to help the survivors, Maturu said that his vehicle was mugged and thieves made away with two suitcases, his children’s bags and charcoal.

Robert Thuo, a resident, called for the dualling of the highway to reduce accidents.

“This road is narrow but we have so many trailers. Others broke down in the middle of the busy Kekopey center. We want dual road and street lights to be safe at night,” said Thuo.

Joyce Muthoni said that the road at the center was a danger zone because even residents fear crossing it during the day and the night.

She called for drivers to avoid overtaking a fleet of cars.