At least 13 people have been confirmed dead and 11 others seriously injured following a tragic road accident involving three vehicles on the Kericho-Kaplong road in Bomet County. The collision, which occurred at approximately 3:30 pm on Saturday, involved a lorry, a matatu, and a Mazda. The injured were rushed to Kaplong and Kapkatet Hospitals, where they are currently receiving treatment.
Emergency services and police officers arrived at the scene shortly after the accident to secure the area and clear the wreckage. The cause of the accident has not yet been officially established, but investigations are underway to determine the circumstances that led to the deadly crash.
This incident adds to a series of recent road accidents in the country that have raised concerns over road safety. On Friday evening, another accident left 14 people with serious injuries in Kibarani, Mombasa County. A bus belonging to a public transport company lost control and rammed into another public service vehicle, causing chaos and panic among passengers.
One of the survivors of the Mombasa accident recounted the terrifying moment when he heard a loud noise while using his phone. He described how passengers scrambled to exit the wreckage, only to find some individuals, including the driver, had already been thrown out of the vehicle due to the impact. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported in that particular crash, although several passengers, including the driver, sustained injuries and are currently recuperating at the Coast General and Referral Hospital.
Earlier in the week, another tragic road incident claimed four lives and left 19 people with varying degrees of injuries. The crash occurred on Wednesday morning and involved a matatu transporting students from Ober Boys Boarding School in Homa Bay County. The vehicle was headed towards Kisumu when it collided with a sugarcane truck at Kibwon in Nyakach Subcounty.
Three students lost their lives in the crash, and the rest of the passengers, who were mostly students, sustained injuries. The survivors were taken to nearby health facilities for treatment, and the incident has deeply shaken the affected families and the wider school community.
These recent incidents highlight a troubling trend on Kenyan roads, with increasing numbers of accidents being reported in different parts of the country. The frequency and severity of these crashes have sparked calls for urgent action from both authorities and road users to enhance safety measures. Concerns have been raised about vehicle maintenance, driver behavior, and the general condition of roads, all of which are contributing factors to road accidents.
Authorities are being urged to intensify road safety campaigns, enforce traffic laws more strictly, and ensure that vehicles, especially public service vehicles, undergo regular inspections. Additionally, there have been calls for the installation of speed governors and improved road signage in high-risk areas to curb reckless driving.
The loss of lives in these avoidable accidents is a painful reminder of the need for collective responsibility in promoting road safety. As investigations continue into the causes of the recent accidents, there is hope that concrete measures will be taken to prevent further tragedies and save lives.
