A survivor of the ill-fated Naivasha bus has recounted the heartbreaking moments leading to the Mai Mahiu crash that claimed eight lives.
Speaking to Citizen TV on Saturday, May 21, the survivor Rachel Wangari, noted that she had been asleep during the journey and was woken up by a loud bang.
She further explained that when she talked to the driver, he said that he was ambushed by the sand truck which led to the head-on collision on Saturday morning.
"The person in front of me was asking to be helped to remove a safety belt and I helped them but I was unable to get him out because the legs were stuck in the chair. I had to jump out through the window.
"When we asked the driver, he told us that the sand truck ambushed him on his side, hit him and broke his hands and legs. Those who were beside him did not sustain injuries, they jumped out through the window," she stated.
When she jumped through the window, Wangari was able to stop a number of motorists and draw their attention to the bus.
Some of the travelers aboard the bus had left a burial event of their kin in Kisii County and were headed back home to Naivasha.
Speaking to the Media, Naivasha hospital medical superintendent confirmed that 23 individuals were taken to the hospital. Seven had already passed away while others were in critical condition.
The driver of the ill-fated bus passed away while receiving treatment at the hospital.
"We have five. We have admitted one in the ward who had broken legs. We hope he will be taken to the theater.
"The other four, we need to refer them to a bigger hospital than us because they have injuries including on the head and one has a spinal injury. We are still organising with Kenyatta National Hospital and National Spinal Hospital," stated the superintendent.
The Maai Mahiu dawn accident involved a bus that was heading to Naivasha from Kisii and a truck heading to Nairobi from Narok.
Data provided by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) indicates that in 2022, more than 1,300 people have lost their lives in road accidents.
The 1,345 fatalities recorded since January 2022 translate to a 15.2 per cent increase when compared to the 1,168 deaths recorded over a similar period as of April 11, 2021.
