Members of the public and road safety officials have expressed concern over the spate of fatal accidents along the upgraded Eastern Bypass.

 The latest accident claimed at least five lives on Sunday morning when a speeding Land Cruiser car rammed into a Tuk Tuk and crushed it into a 14-seater matatu at Kamaki’s area.

 All the dead were in the Tuk Tuk in which the only survivor of the grisly accident was a young child. Three died on the spot while two others succumbed to injuries on arrival at Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital.

Road expansion

 Police reports indicated that the driver of the Land Cruiser was drunk at the time of the crash that occurred before 7am. Ruiru sub-county police commander Cecilia Kemboi said the man has since been arrested and will be charged in court.

 Speaking to journalists at the accident scene, boda boda operators from the area commonly, known as ‘Corner’, said they were worried by the frequency of accidents which they blamed on lack of road signs, speed bumps and stages for PSVs.

 Led by Kevin Mbaru, the riders called for expansion of the road to create space for matatus to pick passengers, noting that currently there is no provision for this, forcing them to stop inside the road. 

“It was only last week that we buried one of us who was hit by a vehicle as he was crossing the busy road. These accidents are occurring almost every day,” Mbaru said.

 Road Safety Association chairman David Kiarie, who visited the scene of Sunday’s accident, blamed designers of the new four-lane road and the contractor for its current state which has become a killer.

 Noting that safety standards were not observed during the expansion of the key road, Kiarie appealed to the concerned authorities to ensure there is safety for road users, including building a service lane.

“Why would the government spend billions on the road expansion and fail to put safety measures into consideration? For instance, the numerous U-turns are a recipe for disaster,” said the official.

Alcoblow

 He gave the contractor seven days to erect the necessary road safety signs, failure to which his organisation would sue them for negligence.

 Kiarie also cautioned motorists against driving while drunk and called for reintroduction of the Alcoblow device to rein in drunk drivers.

 The driver and owner of the Tuk Tuk, Edwin Kariuki, 28, who died on the spot leaves behind a young wife and two children.

His family members are crying out for justice.

Speaking to journalists at the Ruiru police station, his cousin Lawrence Njue said the deceased was the sole breadwinner of the family and had bought the Tuk Tuk just recently.