Tinderet Member of Parliament Julius Kibiwot has called for stern action against traffic police officers manning the Nandi Hills-Kopere highway in Nandi County following a grisly accident that left 21 people, including 19 students, injured.
Speaking on Tuesday, March 4, outside the Nandi Hills Hospital, Kibiwot accused the traffic officers of laxity by failing to arrest the driver and the conductor of the Toyota Hiace vehicle before the accident occurred.
He went ahead to question how a vehicle with a passenger capacity of 11 carried 21 people without the traffic officers noticing the overload.
“To our police officers, how can a Nissan that should carry 11 people be allowed to pass while it carried 19 students, a driver and a conductor? The police who are here must answer,” Kibiwot questioned.
“It is not fair to allow such a vehicle to carry 21 people with its small capacity and knowing very well that the vehicle is travelling through a sloppy region like this," he added.
To prevent further loss of lives at the blackspot, Kibiwot called on the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) officials to erect barriers along the highway.
The accident, which occurred on Monday evening, left one Form Four student dead, while the rest of the learners sustained injuries but were rushed to Nandi Hills Hospital for treatment.
According to reports, the students were heading back to school after their half-term break when the vehicle lost control, rolled over the highway, and landed in a ditch.
Videos and images shared on social media showed the vehicle extensively damaged, with broken windows, dislodged seats, and deflated tyres, depicting the severity of the accident.
Commenting on the situation, a medical officer at Nandi Hills Hospital revealed that seven people were later transferred to the Moi Referral Hospital in Eldoret after sustaining critical injuries.
According to the health officer, among those transferred to the Moi Referral Hospital was the driver of the vehicle who was still unable to communicate despite receiving treatment.
"Two of them had head injuries but scans were done and the doctors there have told us that they are in stable condition and they are receiving the care," the medical officer stated.
