At Least Four Killed, 10 Injured in Matatu Accident in Kirinyaga
At least four passengers were Saturday March 23 evening killed in an accident involving a matatu in the Koroma area along the Ngaru-Gatuto road in Kirinyaga County.
Police said the accident occurred after the driver lost control of the Public Service Vehicle (PSV) before it overturned.
Police said the injured were rushed to hospital. A team is investigating if the vehicle was carrying excess passengers at the time of the accident.
The accident happened at about 6.30 pm as it raced towards Kagio area at a sharp bend, police said.
The victims were two men, a woman and a juvenile. Those in hospitals are in stable condition, police said.
This is the latest such accident to claim lives amid pressure on Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) and police to address the menace.
Most accidents are however blamed on drivers’ error.
After an accident that killed 11 students from Kenyatta University occurred on Monday, Murkomen introduced new measures on the roads.
He ordered NTSA officers back on the road to join police in the operations even though this is seen as unnecessary.
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.
The CS directed law enforcement agencies across the country to immediately develop and implement a nationwide program for Traffic Law enforcement to stem the devastating tide of deaths and injuries arising from road traffic accidents.
“We must obey traffic rules, we must all work together and clean our roads from all manner of rogue road users who are careless,” interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said.
Some stakeholders in the industry have opposed the new rules and demanded consultations before any further action.
According to NTSA, from January to February 2024, road accidents across the country have claimed 649 lives.
The statistics are an increase compared to the 623 recorded during the same period in 2023.