Some people lost their lives, while others were seriously injured in a road accident early Monday morning along the popular highway between Nairobi and Nakuru.
The accident happened at Karai area in Naivasha at about 2am on January 5, when a Greenline bus clashed head-on with a Nanyuki Cabs shuttle. The two vehicles were badly damaged in the collision, as depicted in images obtained from the scene, where the front part of the matatu and the lower part of the bus were badly damaged.
This caused a brief road congestion along the highway as motorists reduced speed as they approached to possibly assist before police officers and other paramedics reached the location.
This was confirmed by the Red Cross in Kenya, which stated that its teams went to help in rescuing those who survived and taking injured people to hospitals.
“There was a road traffic crash at about 2:00 am at Karai along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway between a bus and a matatu,” the Red Cross explained in a statement.
“Several injured were taken to Naivasha District Hospital as Red Cross Society responders reacted to emergencies.”
By the time of going to press, it has been reported that at least nine people have lost their lives in the accident, including two minors. Those in charge of the investigations are still counting the victims.
The latest accident comes only two days after another accident along the same road resulted in death. On Saturday, January 3, five people lost their lives in Kikopey in Gilgil when a 14-seater matatu from the Great Rift was involved in an accident with a trailer.
In his version of the event, Shadrack Almasi, a matatu driver, said that his truck had braking failure and rammed hisvehicle, pushing it against another stationary vehicle and killing five passengers instantly.
Emmanuel Opuru, the Nakuru County police commander, said police had received reports of the Karai accident and responded to the area with the required assistance.
He asked road users to be careful, especially during this time when many people are returning to Nairobi after the holiday seasons.
“We have received the report of the incident, and we can confirm that we have dispatched teams and emergency units to respond to it,” said Opuru. The Nairobi-Nakuru highway has always been ranked as one of the most dangerous roads, with road safety bodies continuously urging drivers to be extra cautious to avert more deaths.
