Angry Kiambu residents on Monday evening razed a newly acquired car after the driver run over two people along the Ruaka-Ndenderu Highway in Ruaka Estate, Kiambu County.
The accident which occurred at around 6.30 pm took place after the speeding Land Cruiser car estimated to be Ksh27 million rammed into two pedestrians, a man and a woman who were attempting to cross the ever-busy highway.
During the incident, the two victims died on the spot after sustaining critical injuries on the head and the limbs—similarly, the vehicle was badly damaged, particularly on its front side.
The incident quickly drew the attention of the residents who barricaded the road, leading to a major traffic snarl-up. While protesting the deaths of their constituents, the locals used rocks to block the highway, forcing motorists to seek alternative routes.
Despite attempts by the area police officers to quell the raging crowd, the adamant residents went ahead to vandalise the newly acquired vehicle before setting it ablaze.
Videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke depicted the car wholly engulfed in flames as the residents engaged in a heated scrimmage with the police officers.
The angry locals accused the government of negligence by failing to construct a footbridge to curb the road accidents that have occasionally been reported along the same highway.
Meanwhile, police officers later picked up the bodies of the deceased and took them to the Kiambu Hospital awaiting postmortem.
It is not the first time that the residents have protested against an accident along the same highway. The latest tragic occurrence comes barely two weeks after another pedestrian was hit along the same highway by a speeding truck while attempting to cross the highway.
The accident which took place on the morning of September 30, forced the residents to barricade the highway, forcing the police officers to intervene.
While expressing their displeasure, the angry residents mounted two-speed bumps along the dual-carriage highway, to compel motorists to drive with care.
According to data published by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), pedestrians are the biggest victims of road accidents.
A report published by the agency revealed that about 3,056 lives were lost between January and August 2024 compared to 2,900 lives at a similar juncture last year.
