Thirteen people perished in a grisly road accident involving a tanker and two matatus along the Kisumu-Kakamega road on Wednesday evening.
Police reports indicate that of the 13 fatalities, ten perished on the spot and three others died while undergoing treatment at various hospitals.
The accident, according to a police bulletin, occurred at around 6pm at the Yala bridge within Iguhu area on the Kisumu – Kakamega road. The accident involved a Mercedes Benz tanker, which was being driven from Kisumu heading towards Kakamega.
The tanker is said to have hit a bump, before losing control and ramming into two matatus that were heading towards the opposite direction. Ten of the passengers in the two matatus, one belonging to Transline Sacco and the other belonging to Mitrans Sacco, died on the spot while 20 others suffered serious injuries.
The fatalities were taken to the Kakamega County General and Referral Hospital mortuary while the injured were rushed to main hospital and other nearby hospitals. Three other passengers succumbed while undergoing treatment and their bodies taken to the Kakamega County General and Referral Hospital mortuary and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Mortuary, Mukumu.
This latest accident comes at a time the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has just sounded a warning that unless immediate steps are taken to curb road crashes, the number of road fatalities could climb to 4,000 by December.
Speaking at a press briefing held on the side-lines of the third journalists’ training on data and evidence-based road safety, NTSA’s Road Safety and Strategies Manager, Samuel Musumba pointed out the need for behaviour change on Kenyan roads.
Alarming rise
The training, organised by Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) and the Global Designing Cities Initiative, brought together experts to address the country’s escalating road safety crisis.
Musumba revealed alarming statistics indicating that as of November 2024, at least 3,990 lives have been lost in road crashes since the start of the year.
He warned that the death toll would likely rise exponentially with the increased travel expected during the December festive season.
“December is a busy month on our highways. We want to do everything possible to reduce these accidents,” Musumba explained.
Pedestrians have been hit hardest by this crisis, contributing the highest number of fatalities, according to NTSA’s data. Musumba urged Kenyans to take an active role in reporting reckless driving, from speeding, drunk driving and overcrowded vehicles.
He shed light on the challenges posed by Tuk Tuk operators predominantly in the port city of Mombasa where a majority of them lack the necessary training.
On her part, Liaison for the Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI), Engineer Diana Laboso disclosed poor road design as another significant factor contributing to deaths.
With global data by World Health Organisation showing per kilometre travelled, pedestrians face a nine times higher risk of death than car occupants, Laboso stated there was a high need for diversification of roads to prioritise the pedestrian.
“Road expansions prioritise motorists, but pedestrians and cyclists are left vulnerable,” she explained.
