Three add to alarming road crash statistics

Police at a scene of the crash near Nangili Trading Centre on the Eldoret-Kitale road on December 26, 2019. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • It was a head-on collision between a mini-bus and a van.

Three people perished in a road crash on the Eldoret-Kitale road near Nangili market.

The accident was a head-on collision between a mini-bus and a van at a place called Roberts.

Kakamega County Commander Bernard Muli said the van was ferrying animals for slaughter to Nairobi while the mini-bus was from Lwanda market headed to Matunda in Kakamega County.

Mr Muli confirmed that the drivers of the two vehicles and one passenger died on the spot while several others sustained serious injuries and are being treated at Likuyani Sub-County Hospital.

Witnesses said the driver of the mini-bus was trying to avoid hitting sheep which were crossing the road, but lost control of the vehicle and hit the oncoming van.

Those who live around the accident scene said the place is a black spot and that there have been about five accidents this year.

They appealed to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to erect bumps at the spot.

Among the local leaders who visited the scene are Caleb Kositany (Soi MP) and Didmas Barasa (Kimilili MP).

They asked traffic police and NTSA to be more proactive to ensure that traffic laws are not compromised.

Meanwhile, more Kenyans continue to lose their lives to road accidents with many left nursing injuries despite the police and NTSA talking tough.

In only two days, between December 17 and 18, a total of 13 road users lost their lives on different roads across the country.

Out of the number, five are pedestrians, three passengers, two motor cyclists and drivers each and one boda boda passenger.

On the eve of Christmas, two families in Busia lost five members of their family in a grisly road accident along the Mumias-Butere road. They were part of a group of 10 individuals in a private car travelling home for Christmas holidays.

Another person died and two others were left nursing injuries after a collision between a trailer and a boda boda at Kapkwen trading centre in Bomet County.

NTSA Director-General George Njao last week said the agency will work closely with the police to help reduce road fatalities by intensifying road safety campaigns and putting in place evidence-based enforcement interventions.

He said they will conduct random stops along major highways during the day and night to enforce speed checks, use of seat belts and curb overloading, among other issues.

Mr Njao said an analysis of road safety data shows that 98 per cent of crashes are attributed to human error such as loss of control due to high speed, overloading and dangerous overtaking.

“Of great focus will be to ensure all drivers and passengers comply with the requirements of the regulations and abide by traffic laws,” said Mr Njao.

According to NTSA’s latest statistics as at December 19, a total of 3,409 road users had lost their lives since January 1, 2019. This is an increase of 13 from the 3,396 fatalities recorded by the agency as at December 17, 2019.

In December alone, 195 fatalities have been recorded. However, this is a huge reduction from the 342 deaths recorded during the same period last year.