Three people died in a road accident in the Salgaa area along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway on Saturday evening, June 24.
According to eyewitnesses, the victims included two students and a driver who bore the brunt of the matatu ramming into a lorry.
The matatu was heading to Eldoret from Nakuru when it collided with the lorry that was ahead of them.
Reports alleged that the PSV was overloaded with 15 passengers, including several students heading home after their school reportedly closed for the half-term break.
Other passengers injured in the accident were immediately transferred to various hospitals in Nakuru County for first-aid treatment and admission.
Wreckage from the matatu, severely compromised after the crash, was towed to the roadside as traffic marshalls moved to prevent a traffic snarl-up.
With an influx of road users accessing various towns via the highway, police were urged to heighten their crackdown and apprehend motorists found breaking traffic laws.
Motorists were warned against reckless driving, especially with the Safari Rally underway in Naivasha and students closing schools for half-term breaks.
The Ministry of Education on Thursday, June 22, rescheduled the midterm dates. Students were allowed to head home on Tuesday, June 27 and return on Saturday, July 1, 2023.
Parents had planned to receive their children on Thursday, June 29, prior to the changes.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) recorded 1, 679 died in road accidents between January and May 2023.
According to NTSA, the fatalities were 77 fewer than 1,756 recorded in the same period in 2022.
Out of the 1,679 deaths, pedestrians accounted for 571 fatalities, followed by motorcyclists at 449, passengers at 323, and drivers at 149.
NTSA recommended increasing the number of traffic police officers, improving road infrastructure, and raising public awareness to curb road accidents.
