The Nairobi-Nakuru-Eldoret Highway, eagerly awaiting a Sh160 billion upgrade, has become a death trap, causing the loss of at least 35 lives in a month. This vital route links Nairobi to western Kenya and landlocked countries like Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Burundi, and has become a nightmare for motorists.
Transport stakeholders attribute most of the accidents to recklessness, speeding, overloading, and the use of unroadworthy vehicles. In the past three days, 22 people have lost their lives in road accidents across the country, with the most recent crash occurring yesterday at the notorious Delamare black spot, killing six people.
This brings the total deaths on the Nairobi-Nakuru-Eldoret highway to 10. The matatu accident involved 11 Nairobi-bound students and a trailer, killing five people, and injuring six others.
The Cabinet Office has directed the Ministry of Home Affairs and National Administration to collaborate with the Ministry of Roads and Transport to take remedial action.
Enforcing the Road Traffic Act during the long rainy season is essential for improving road safety. Medics are treating the injured, and parents are making frantic phone calls to enquire about their children’s condition.
The medical superintendent in charge of the Naivasha Sub-county Hospital said that seven people, including the driver, were admitted for treatment.
The hospital is making arrangements to transfer two of the seriously injured to Kenyatta National Hospital for specialised treatment. The Naivasha accident happened 24 hours after another accident along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway that claimed four lives.
