Senate summons KeNHA in Mwingi road crash probe

Senate has summoned engineers from the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to explain why safety measures were not taken to avert the accident which claimed the lives of 10 school pupils in Mwingi two weeks ago.

The Roads, Transport and Infrastructure Committee also summoned the contractor doing routine maintenance on the Kanyonyoo — Mwingi Road, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), traffic police officers in Mwingi and the school's administration.

Chairman Kimani Wamatangi had given KeNHA until Tuesday afternoon to file a report with his committee explaining why guard rails were not erected on the river bridge where the school bus plunged, among other things.

INNOCENT PUPILS

“Our conscience should not always be awoken by the blood of our innocent pupils when they perish on our roads.

My committee will get to the bottom of this matter and if anyone is found to have neglected his or her duty, action will be taken against them” he said.

Mr Wamatangi said the accident, where scores of other learners sustained injuries, could have been avoided had all the actors involved in ensuring road safety done their job including expanding it to the requisite standards.

“The committee wants to establish why this section of the road is in such poor state. There were no speed bumps or proper signage along the sloppy narrow stretch to warn motorists” the Kiambu senator said when his team visited the crash site last Saturday afternoon.

NO GUARD RAILS

He was accompanied by his colleagues Enoch Wambua (Kitui) and Ekal Imana (Turkana), and Mwingi Central MP Gideon Mulyungi.

“We can’t understand why a bridge on a road that existed for so many years, and being an international highway can be left without guard rails which could have saved the innocent lives” said Mr Wamatangi.

The senator said they want to scrutinise the ongoing contract especially the scope of works, the contract sum, when it was awarded and why it has taken long to complete the repairs, to establish whether Kenyans are getting value for their money.

“These questions must be answered in a submission that must reach the Clerk of the Senate before close of business on Tuesday,” he said adding all parties must appear before the committee on September 5.

ROAD NEGLECTED

Mr Wambua said the section of the road has become a death trap, pointing that the road section has remained neglected despite being part of the Mombasa — Kitui — Moyale Highway and that many lives are lost every year.

“There can never be an explanation why we still do not have guard rails three weeks after the accident yet there is a contractor on site. If we establish malpractice on the part of the contract we’ll recommend they be blacklisted” he said.

Mr Mulyungi said it was unfortunate that millions of funds are spent every year to repair the road but nothing is achieved.