The residents of Kipsitet in Kericho County on Wednesday, September 17, barricaded the Kisumu–Kericho highway following a road accident that claimed the lives of 6 people and left 4 others nursing injuries.
The demonstrations began at mid-morning, around 10 am, with the agitated residents accusing the County Government of Kericho, led by Governor Eric Mutai, of negligence.
While protesting along the busy route, the locals faulted Mutai's administration for reportedly failing to pay electricity bills in Kipsitet for the streetlights and a lack of designated matatu stages.
Kipsitet residents also criticised the county government over its reluctance to construct a designated boda boda stage and lack of a proper market centre for them.
The residents blocked the road at Kipsitet Junction all the way to Chepseng'eny Junction, rendering the highway impassable. This resulted in the disruption of transport, with motorists forced to seek alternative routes.
In the footage obtained by Kenyans.co.ke, the angry locals lit bonfires in the middle of the road, with the images showing some residents witnessing the unfolding from a distance.
Meanwhile, the accident, which occurred on Tuesday night at around 10pm, took place after a speeding lorry lost control and rammed into pedestrians who were waiting to board a Public Service Vehicle (PSV).
According to Sion Sub-County Police Commander Lawrence Kisini, the lorry was ferrying scrap metal from Kericho to Kisumu when it veered off the road and hit the pedestrians.
Kisini went ahead to reveal that four people succumbed on the spot, while two others died while being rushed to the hospital. Four other pedestrians were left nursing serious injuries.
The injured were taken to the Kericho County Hospital, with the deceased taken to the mortuary of the same facility.
Footage of the accident showed the white lorry leaning on its side with a team of rescuers attempting to remove those trapped under the wreckage.
Moments later, police officers arrived at the scene of the accident and cordoned off the area before proceeding to assess the situation. The crash resulted in a huge traffic snarl-up that lasted almost an hour.
