Stephen Musungu
Monday saw the killing of six people and severe injuries of seven others due to the head-on collision of a matatu with a bus on the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway, which authorities then confirmed, thus holiday travel turning into sorrow and reviving the calls for better road safety measures dramatically.
The accident took place during the night along a highway section notorious for being the site of many accidents, due to heavy traffic no less. The police and emergency units were at the site immediately after they received the distress calls, where both vehicles’ wrecks were lying all over the tarred road. As the eyewitnesses narrated the terrible scenes, it was difficult to distinguish between the rescuers and the bystanders, as they were all so involved in the extraction of the victims from the wrecks.
The traffic officers’ preliminary reports suggested that the matatu was heading towards Nairobi to hook up with the bus, which was coming from the opposite direction on the way to the coast. Thus, the investigators are still working to realize the exact order of events that resulted in this disaster.
Out of the 13 casualties, six were dead right on the spot, whereas the other seven victims received transportation to hospitals near the crash site with serious injuries. Hospital sources informed that some of the wounded are in critical condition, which is a clear indication of how devastating the crash was.
The police have already secured the area as part of their investigation, which is still underway, taking statements from eyewitnesses and carrying out first forensic assessments. From the initial findings it has been indicated that some of the factors that may have led to the collision are speeding, a driver’s tiredness, or an overtaking that was not properly done, but the officials have cautioned that the results of a full inquiry will then allow the authority to declare the cause of the accident.
Throughout the night, emergency and rescue workers took care of the injured and did the hard work of clearing debris off the road, which was their utmost priority. Such a tragedy brought back to life the debates about road safety that had been shelved or quieted among the public and the advocates over the sustenance of dangers present in the main transport corridors, especially during the peak travel periods.
Transportation authorities did not hesitate to reiterate the warnings that had always been issued regularly that the drivers should be very careful and compliance with the speed limit is a must; not only that, they should maintain a safe distance between their vehicles and also not take risks in overtaking, and all this is especially true for highways where there is a large volume of public service vehicles and long-distance travel buses.
Mourning relatives of the deceased have been making their way to hospitals and morgues; the suddenness of the loss of their dear ones is so hard for them to cope with. Community leaders and clergy have come forward asking for assistance to the stricken families and talking about the necessity for road safety practices, hence a collective reflection.
The Ministry of Transport assured that it will be watching the investigation closely and at the same time advising drivers to be extra careful since the festive travel continues. The probing will seek the causes behind the crash, and one of Kenya’s busiest roads will be spared from such calamity as the focus shifts towards prevention.
