A family has been thrown into mourning after an Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) official was among seven people killed in a grisly road accident along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway on Friday night.
The deceased, identified as Betty Rotich, was heading back to Eldoret after attending an official IEBC assignment in Naivasha when the matatu she was travelling in was involved in a fatal collision with a trailer near Kamara, a blackspot along the busy highway.
The tragic accident has left relatives struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of their loved one.
Speaking after identifying Betty’s body at Londiani Sub-County Hospital Mortuary, her brother Caleb Rotich recalled the heartbreaking moment the family realised something had gone terribly wrong.
“We had been talking to her throughout the journey. Later, her phone went off. The following morning we kept calling until someone answered and told us the owner of the phone had been involved in an accident,” Caleb said
The family rushed to the hospital hoping she had survived, only to receive the devastating news that Betty was among those who had lost their lives in the crash.
According to police, the accident happened after a trailer reportedly lost control before veering into the path of an oncoming matatu travelling towards Eldoret. The impact left seven people dead, while several others escaped with injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Betty’s death has sparked an outpouring of grief from colleagues, friends and relatives who described her as a committed public servant whose life was cut short while returning home from work.
The latest tragedy has once again turned the spotlight on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway, particularly the Kamara and Mau Summit stretch, which has witnessed a series of fatal accidents over the years despite repeated calls for stricter enforcement of traffic rules and improved road safety measures.
As investigations into the cause of the crash continue, another family has been left planning a burial instead of welcoming their loved one home, adding to the growing list of lives lost on one of Kenya’s deadliest highways.
