Nine perish, 10 injured in road accidents spike
At least nine people including three police officers were killed and 10 others injured in separate accidents at the weekend.
Among the killed are a Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officer who died in a self-involved accident on Saturday at around 5pm along Kianyaga-Kutus road and two constables based at Mwitethia Patrol Base in Nyahururu.
The two died on Saturday at around 11pm when the rider of a motorcycle they were riding on lost control and veered off the road before landing in a ditch.
One officer died on the spot while the rider and the other officer sustained serious injuries and were rushed to Subukia sub-county hospital where the other officer later succumbed to the injuries.
The rider, Josephat Mbunga Kingoo was ferrying the officers along the Subukia-Solai Road when the accident happened at Kaptarakwa area.
Reports also indicate seven officers, including the Mbalambala OCPD Johnstone Mwariga were injured yesterday morning when the police vehicle they were travelling in knocked a donkey along Garissa-Modika Road around Sumeiya Primary School.
“As a result of the accident, all the officers sustained various serious injuries including leg injuries and severe chest pain, back injuries, head injuries and were all rushed to Garissa county referral hospital for treatment,” police headquarters said.
The DCI officer based at Kirinyaga East Sub-County was driving from Kianyaga general direction heading towards Kutus to join her colleagues. She lost control of the car, which veered off the road before rolling twice.
“Due to the impact, she sustained serious injuries and was rushed to Kerugoya Referral Hospital by good Samaritans where she was pronounced dead on arrival,” Traffic headquarters said.
The vehicle was towed to Kianyaga Police Station awaiting inspection.
In another accident on Saturday at around 11.30pm, a van driver was killed after he lost control of the car which also veered off the road and rammed a tree along Flyover-Thika road.
Both the driver and the passenger sustained serious injuries and were rushed to Igengania Level Four Hospital where the driver was pronounced dead on arrival.
The passenger, aged 76, sustained broken ribs and was later transferred to Thika Level Five Hospital for specialized treatment.
Police reports also indicate that yesterday at around 5am, a passenger died while the driver is in a coma after their vehicle veered off the road and rolled several times at Bangale along the Garissa-Mwingi road.
The yet-to-be-identified driver was driving a motor vehicle registration number KCU 397D, a Honda Fit, from Mwingi towards Garissa with the male passenger when the accident happened.
The passenger’s body was transferred to Garissa County Referral Hospital mortuary while the driver who sustained serious head and spine injuries was admitted in a coma. According to police records, there has been an increase in fatal accidents in the last few days.
Death toll from the Githunguri Kwa Michael accident that occurred on June 2 along Kiambu-Ruiru Road has risen to eight. This was after two people who were undergoing treatment at hospitals in Kiambu and Ruiru succumbed to the injuries.
Locals are now calling upon the authorities to push a road contractor to resurface and complete the Kiambu - Githunguri Road, and fit it with signage and speed bumps to enable motorists control their speed.
The accident happened on Friday around 7.30pm where a matatu collided head-on with a private car, killing six passengers on the spot. In another accident at Mayanja Kibuke market on the Eldoret- Malaba highway in Bumula constituency, Bungoma county, four family members were killed after a fast moving trailer veered off the road.
Speaking to People Daily yesterday, Patrick Masika said the deceased were travelling back home after attending a burial of their loved ones in Bungoma County.
Masika said the victims are two women and two men who were travelling on the same motorbike along Malaba-Eldoret heading to Kanduyi.
“We have experienced a very bad accident here, we appeal to KeNHA to erect bumps along this road to curb frequent accidents,” he said.
Masika said that many people have lost lives along the same road but the relevant authorities haven’t taken an initiative of erecting bumps on the busy road. He said that the residents at Mayanja market were unable to identify the deceased.
Kakamega governor Fernandez Barasa in a condolence letter, said the deceased identified as Nickson Mmasi, John Mushefi, Getry Lumbasi and Brian Mukonesi hail from Machemo community area, Chemuche ward in Malava constituency, Kakamega county.
“I have learnt with great sadness, the tragic death of four residents of Kakamega County who perished in a road accident at Mayanja Shopping Centre along Malaba- Eldoret road while on their way back home after buying their loved one in Bungoma County,” Barasa stated.
