At least four passengers were confirmed dead and others injured after an accident occurred in the Koroma area along the Ngaru-Gatuto road in Kirinyaga County on the night of Saturday, March 23.
The accident involving a matatu occurred after the driver lost control which resulted in the Public Service Vehicle (PSV) overturning and the subsequent deaths.
According to reports, the vehicle was carrying excess passengers which may have contributed to the accident.
Following the night accident, the bodies were taken to the local morgue before an autopsy was conducted.
Meanwhile, those injured were taken to nearby hospitals for emergency medical care. As cases of road accidents rise, motorists and other road users have been urged to be cautious.
The matatu sacco was yet to issue a statement on the accident by the time of publishing this article.
Notably, this accident added to the number of road carnage incidents reported in less than a month. The accidents have led to the death of over 30 Kenyans while multiple others have sustained severe injuries.
These grisly accidents taking the lives of innocent Kenyans have put Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) on the spot for failing to curb these accidents.
Additionally, traffic officers have been accused of taking bribes to allow unroadworthy vehicles to operate, risking the lives of other road users.
After an accident that killed 11 students from Kenyatta University occurred on Monday, CS Murkomen introduced new measures on the roads. He ordered NTSA officers back on the road, reversing a 2018 directive.
He further proposed the introduction of stop arms on school buses as seen in the US and also having attendants in all the buses as a safety precaution.
The CS also explained that these measures were part of a draft policy that the Ministry had already finalised. If approved as it is, all school buses will be fitted with CCTV cameras and a tracker.
