At least five people have died, while one person is nursing critical injuries following a road accident in the Kibirigwi area of Kirinyaga along the Karatina-Sagana Highway.
The mid-morning accident took place on Friday, November 22, after a lorry transporting maize reportedly lost control and rammed into two oncoming cars.
Following the tragedy, the area residents immediately rushed to rescue those who had been trapped under the wreckage.
In the videos and photos that have since circulated widely on the internet, the locals were captured surrounding the scene of the accident as others intensified efforts to evacuate the victims.
The footage further showed the lorry damaged on its front side with maize seeds strewn along the road. Meanwhile, the cars involved in the accident were completely damaged, depicting the extent of the accident.
There was a severe traffic jam on the already congested highway as a result of the accident, forcing drivers travelling to and from Kirinyaga town to find other routes.
A short time later, the local police officers and the Kirinyaga County Disaster Management team arrived on the scene before the cars were towed away to allow for investigations.
The accident comes hardly two weeks after ten people succumbed in another accident on the Iguhu bridge along the Kisumu-Kakamega Highway in Chavakali, Kakamega County.
According to the police, the accident occurred after a trailer heading to Kakamega reportedly lost control and rammed into two 14-seater matatus that were heading to Kisumu.
Several passengers were injured during the evening accident and were rushed to the Kakamega County Referral Hospital and Vihiga County Hospital for treatment. However, three more passengers succumbed while receiving treatment at the hospitals.
The latest tragedy also follows Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi's recent announcement ordering police officers to launch a crackdown on all unroadworthy vehicles. In his directive, Mudavdi ordered police officers to ensure all vehicles have requisite registration details including Sacco's name.
"I hereby instruct all traffic police officers to ensure that all PSVs are roadworthy and are driven safely. They must ensure that all the PSVs on the road have the registered name of the Sacco/Company/Institution have inspection status, and operate from their licensed routes," noted Mudavadi.
