At least thirty-five people have been killed and up to fifty others seriously injured when a bus they were travelling in crashed near Mwingi town on the Thika-Garissa highway.
Reports suggest that more than eighty passengers were aboard the 60-seater bus when the driver lost control, causing the bus to roll several times. Many of the passengers are thought to have been workers in Nairobi, heading to their home towns to vote in next week’s general election.
The bus had left Nairobi at about 1am and was en route to Mandera. The crash happened about two hours into the journey.
At least three women and a young girl are amongst the confirmed dead. The driver was amongst the survivors but, report witnesses, fled the scene. Police are speculating that he fell asleep at the wheel or was driving under the influence of alcohol.
Defence assistant minister David Musila cut short his senatorial campaigning and rushed to the scene to help with rescue efforts and console bereaved families.
“It is disheartening to lose such a big number of people in a road accident. The traffic police should strictly enhance road rules to curb the road carnage,” Musila said.
In 2011, a bus rolled at nearby Mutwangombe on the Mwingi-Garissa road killing 13 people on the spot.
The grisly accident comes at a time when the police and Kenya’s Transport Licensing Board are carrying out a nationwide crackdown on un-roadworthy vehicles.
