The notorious Salgaa stretch along the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway has once again come under scrutiny after a tragic accident claimed 13 lives last Friday. Road safety officials have labeled the section a death trap, urging the government to take immediate action to prevent further fatalities.
In the past three months alone, over 30 people have lost their lives, with many others suffering serious injuries along the treacherous stretch. The latest incident occurred on the morning of March 14, when a trailer collided with a matatu, killing all its occupants.
Road safety officials who visited the accident scene attributed the frequent crashes to poor road design, negligence by relevant authorities, and the hazardous positioning of the road. The stretch is described as dangerously narrow, wedged between a concrete barrier and a deep gulley, making it a high-risk zone for accidents.
Leading the calls for intervention, Edward Gitonga, Chairman of the Speed Governors and Road Safety Association, and David Kiarie of the Road Safety Association of Kenya, criticized road agencies for failing to address the danger despite repeated warnings. Gitonga urged the government to take immediate action by filling the gulley with rocks and leveling the surface as a temporary measure while working on a long-term solution such as widening the road.
John Mutisya, Secretary General of the Speed Governors Association, highlighted the frequency of fatal accidents in the area, recalling past tragedies, including a Coast Bus Service crash that claimed 17 lives and a Nucleus matatu accident. He condemned the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) for failing to enforce safety measures.
Kiarie went further, accusing NTSA’s leadership of incompetence and calling on President William Ruto to disband its management board, starting with the Director General. He emphasized that action, rather than mere discussions, is needed to end the tragic loss of lives on the Salgaa stretch.
With mounting pressure from road safety officials, the government is now being urged to act swiftly to implement urgent road safety measures and redesign the hazardous stretch before more lives are lost.
