Police Reveal Blunder That Led to Death of 5 Students on Highway

by Mark Obar on Tuesday, 18 April 2023 - 7:46 pm

A photo collage of a Scene of Accident (Left) and Emmanuel Bowen, Naivasha Sub-county Commander (Right) on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.

Photo/Ma3Route

As Kenyans came to terms with the death of five students on Tuesday, April 18, Nakuru Police boss sought to explain the circumstances under which a 14-seater passenger vehicle crashed.

While sharing the details, police officers solely blamed impatience nature of the drove as the very reason why the five students died in the road accident.

According to Emmanuel Bowen, Naivasha Sub-county Commander, the Matatu driver who was seemingly in a hurry to reach Nairobi from Western Kenya, made a catastrophic miscalculation on the fateful afternoon.

The 2 pm accident occurred when the passenger vehicle was sandwiched on three sides without any escape route along the busy Nairobi-Nakuru Highway.

The wreckage of a matatu that was involved in an accident in Delamere in Naivasha, Nakuru County, on April 18, 2023.

Photo: Sikika Safety

"It happened that the passenger vehicle was trying to overtake a long fleet of vehicles near the Dalamare Farm, when unfortunately, a lorry was also approaching and the driver had nowhere to go to," Nakuru Police explained.

The lorry driver, according to the Naivasha Sub-county Commander, was unable to make emergency breaks since the driver was already coming at a high speed.

The two vehicles tried as much as they could to avert the crash, but it was already too late and the Matutu decided to plunge into a nearby ditch, killing five occupants on the spot.

"The victims were all girls students who were traveling home from school. The survivors were immediately rushed to Naivasha Sub-county Hospital where they are currently receiving treatment," Police stated.

Naivasha police boss Emanuel Bowen noted that the accident could easily be avoided if the drivers observed basic traffic rules, and avoided dangerous overtaking.

The police also noted that two of the surviving students had been placed under oxygen as they were unable to breathe normally without the assistance of ventilators.

"Two of the survivors are in critical condition while the rest are responding well to treatment," Police stated.

On Tuesday, April 18, President William Ruto-led Cabinet ordered the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) to crack down on those flouting traffic rules.