Nakuru County Police Commander Peter Mwanzo blamed the loss of seven lives in the Kikopey accident on matatu speeding.
While addressing the matter on Thursday, January 26, Mwanzo asserted that the accident would have been avoided if the vehicles were not speeding on the climbing lane.
He added that, as a result of speeding, the driver of one of the matatus involved in the accident did not clearly see a lorry that was parked on the side of the road.
"The lorry had stalled as was parked on the side of the road. Unfortunately, because of the high speed, the driver did not see the red accident sign, hitting it before ramming into the lorry.
"The other matatu that was behind also hit the matatu (which had hit the lorry) from behind," he added.
Mwanzo also expressed that those who survived the accident were mostly seated behind the driver's seat as the motorists attempted to save their lives.
"In a bid to save themselves, the drivers also moved the impact to the side of the passengers and that is the area where many passengers lost their lives," he stated.
In the early Thursday morning accident, seven people lost their lives while 16 others sustained injuries.
The majority of the survivors were rushed to nearby hospitals while those who sustained serious injuries were transferred to referral health centres across the county.
In reference to the accident, the National Police Service (NPS) cautioned motorists against flaunting traffic rules even as it was noted that the area had become a hotspot in recent years.
"We appeal to motorists and all road users to adhere to traffic rules by driving within the legal speed limits, refraining from driving under influence of alcohol and any other form of recklessness on the road," NPS stated.
According to December 2022 data by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), 4,432 people lost their lives in road carnages with a majority of the incidents being blamed on human errors.
