At least five people were killed in a tragic road accident along the Ichuni-Keroka downhill stretch, Kisii County after a truck lost control and overturned on Monday.
One person was treated and discharged.
The stretch connecting the busy Keroka trading centre to Ichuni, has become notorious for road crashes, many of them involving speeding matatus.
There had been a string of incidents where lorries lose control while descending the slope.
Keroka Sub-county traffic commandant Peter Chege said they were investigating the incident.
All bodies of deceased were retrieved from the scene and moved to the mortuary, he disclosed.
Eyewitnesses say the truck was descending the steep slope and it appeared it suffered brake failure before veering off the road and overturning.
The deceased were mostly pedestrians, said John Onchari, an eyewitness.
The accident comes a week after a section of the area residents raised alarm over the increasing number of fatal accidents on the steep slope section of the road, urging authorities to install speed bumps to curb the carnage.
“Hardly a week passes without an accident here,” said Jane Nyaboke, a resident of Ichuni.
“We have seen vehicles overturn and people die. We need bumps or at least rumble strips before more lives are lost.”
She accused the relevant authorities of neglecting their pleas despite repeated reports and community petitions.
Motorists who use the road daily have also echoed the call, saying the sharp gradient and lack of proper signage make it dangerous, especially during rainy weather.
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