Several people on Sunday, April 2, escaped death by a whisker after an Easy Coach bus they were travelling in rammed into a trailer near Naivasha weighbridge along the Nairobi‐Nakuru Highway.
In a statement from Kenya Red Cross - Nakuru branch, the accident occurred an hour before midnight with the bus driver attempting to swerve in a bid to evade the tragedy.
The trailer, however, collided with the bus on the side causing the bus driver to veer off the highway. A few passengers sustained injuries and were rushed to Gilgil Sub-County Hospital.
"On Sunday at around 2300hrs, there was an accident between an Easy Coach bus and a trailer that just happened near Naivasha weighbridge along the Nairobi‐Nakuru Highway.
"Few passengers sustained slight injuries and were taken to Gilgil Sub-County Hospital with the help of National Police Service. The scene was contained," the statement read in part.
The accident elicited debate from Kenyans online who pointed out with concern the recent spike in accidents along the same highway.
"What is really happening on this Nairobi Nakuru highway?" Jalango Akello posed.
"Naivasha should not be a black spot in the making. Be safe on the road," Road Sense Kenya stated.
Others, on the other hand, called for Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen to prioritise making safer roads that are perceived as hotspots in the past weeks.
"Let’s tag CS in charge of roads. He needs to dual the Limuru-Nakuru road, and Mombasa road from Machakos junction ASAP. Another road that he needs to tarmac is the Garissa-Wajir -Mandera road. Then he can start talking about other roads. These are priority roads," read some of the comments online.
According to the latest data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the number of road fatalities decreased by 4.6 per cent in the past year.
NTSA detailed that the number of fatalities involving pedestrians, pillion passengers and motorcyclists had reduced from 1,021 to 974 between March 20, 2023, and the same date the previous year.
Driver fatalities, however, increased from 95 in 2022 to 98 in 2023, while passenger fatalities increased from 154 in 2022 to 171 in 2023 and that of pedal cyclists increased from 15 in 2022 to 17 in 2023.
