The oil tanker driver who collided with two matatus along the Kakamega-Kisumu highway last Wednesday, causing an accident that left 13 dead, has finally been charged.
While appearing before a Kakamega Court on Wednesday, November 20, the driver was charged with 18 offences including 13 counts of reckless driving resulting in death.
He also faces charges of causing permanent injuries to four individuals as well as an 18th charge for operating an unregistered vehicle.
The driver appeared before Chief Magistrate James Masiga and denied all the charges against him. He pleaded not guilty to all 18 charges stemming from the Wednesday, November 13 Yala River bridge accident.
Ultimately, the judge granted him bail of Ksh1 million or a cash bail alternative of Ksh50,000. The case will be mentioned on January 22, 2025.
Hours after the grisly accident last week, witnesses narrated that the tanker the said driver was in control of hit an embankment before losing control and colliding with the two matatus. 10 people died on the spot, but the death toll quickly soared to 13 after three more died while receiving treatment.
On the fateful day, the oil tanker was driving towards Kakamega while the two matatus he hit were headed towards Kisumu City.
Following the accident, 20 injured passengers were transported to the Mbale District Hospital and the Kakamega Referral Hospitals for specialised treatments, where three more passengers succumbed.
"One female died on arrival while two more succumbed when receiving treatment. The others are responding well to treatment," a doctor at the Kakamega Referral Hospital stated.
Since the accident occurred on a Wednesday night, several concerned relatives flocked to the hospital on Thursday morning to learn the fate of their loved ones involved in the crash that shocked the nation.
Witnesses of the crash stated that a decision by the oil tanker driver cost several people their lives and urged the government to take action and charge him for careless driving.
The driver had disappeared following the accident, fleeing the scene before he could be apprehended by police officers who arrived at the scene shortly after the accident.
