Following the Migori accident on Saturday, April 8, eyewitnesses revealed that the lorry driver sent a signal to residents, but they ignored leading to the crash that left nine people dead.
Addressing the media, one witness claimed the speeding driver hooted from a distance after seeing residents on the road. He implied the driver informed the residents that the lorry's brakes system had failed.
It, however, crashed near a boda boda shade on the Migori-Isibiania road, Migori County.
"The lorry hooted from afar, forcing two people at the bridge to jump in the nearby river as it scared them," one eyewitness recalled.
"It then proceeded to crash into a boda boda shade hurting and killing others," he added.
Following the Migori accident, another eyewitness indicated that the section of the road was unclear, as some drivers had parked and left their vehicles, affecting moveability.
Another resident indicated that boda boda riders had also invaded sections of the road, turning them into parking bays. He added that even traders had occupied road sections affecting traffic flow.
Residents called on Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to deploy police officers to control traffic on that section of the road.
They also implored the CS and Migori County Governments to allocate proper parking bays for cars and boda-boda riders.
"We just plead with the government to remove vehicles which are parking here and blocking the road," the witness stated.
"Kindly clear this section of the road and even allocate proper parking spaces for boda boda riders," he added.
Mark Wanjala, the County Commander Migori, revealed that the government had launched investigations to establish the cause of the accident. He condemned the residents for looting instead of saving the injured following the accident.
"The residents rushed to the scene of the crime and started looting rice from the lorry instead of helping to rescue the injured. However, our officers managed to rescue the injured," Wanjala disclosed.
The National Police Service Commission (NPSC), acting Deputy Inspector General Abdalla Komesha, called on motorists to observe traffic rules, especially during Easter.
He reiterated that the government had launched a crackdown to ensure motorists follow stipulated traffic rules. Abdalla directed public service vehicle owners to deploy roadworthy vehicles to tame accidents.
According to data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), 1,072 lives were lost in road accidents between January and March 2023.
Nairobi-Nakuru Highway was listed among the most dangerous roads in the country.
