County officials in DP Ruto’s entourage die in Eldoret road crash

Deputy President William Ruto’s tour of the North Rift turned tragic on Friday after three people, among them two senior Uasin Gishu County government officials, died in a grisly road accident in the Outspan area on the Eldoret-Nakuru highway.

The accident occurred after an Eldoret Water Services (Eldowas) vehicle, which the county officials were using, collided head-on with a truck in the 12.30pm accident.

The county officials were among the entourage accompanying the deputy president, governors Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu) and Alex Tolgos (Elgeyo-Marakwet) and more than six Members of Parliament to the burial of veteran Nandi elder Joel Kipsum at Timboroa in Uasin Gishu County.

The deputy president had just attended a morning function in Eldoret Town where he handed over police vehicles and ambulances to the Uasin Gishu county government.

DIED ON THE SPOT
Police said two victims died on the spot while the third succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.

One of the victims of the accident was admitted to Eldoret’s Mediheal Hospital in critical condition, while another was taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in stable condition.

The driver of the trailer sustained minor injuries.

Uasin Gishu County Secretary Peter Leley confirmed that the county government had lost two senior staff and sent a message of condolences to the bereaved families.

“We cannot reveal their identities as at now until we notify their families. This is very sad, we had just concluded the colourful launch of county police vehicles presided by the deputy president,” Mr Leley told the Saturday Nation by phone.

SECURITY PARTNERSHIP

When a team from the Nation arrived at the scene, a crowd was milling around the scene, with the victims’ personal effects, including neck ties and phone covers, strewn all over the scene.

Earlier, the deputy president had presided over the flagging off of 14 police vehicles to support a programme in which the county government of Uasin Gishu has partnered with the national government to improve security in the area.

The vehicles will be distributed to police stations across the county.

Eldoret West deputy OCPD Lazarus Wambua raised concerns about the upsurge of accidents along the busy, newly reconstructed highway and urged motorists to be careful when plying the route.

CONTRADICTORY INFORMATION

“Drivers have the tendency of endangering their lives and those of other motorists by speeding on the newly refurbished highway,” Mr Wambua said.

Eyewitnesses’ accounts, however, contradicted police on the casualties, with the eyewitnesses claiming that they pulled three bodies out of the wreckage of the Eldowas vehicle.

“There were three pick-ups, but the other two managed to avoid the oncoming trailer. However, the driver of the Eldowas vehicle, which seemed to be speeding, did not notice the trailer and they collided head-on,” said Mr Elsha Talaam, an eyewitness.

The bodies of the deceased were moved to the Moi Teaching Referring and Hospital mortuary.