Political leaders from western Kenya used on Wednesday held a requiem mass for the 31 souls from Kakamega County that perished in the Fort Ternan crash last week.
The leaders who had joined hundreds of mourners at Amalemba grounds in Kakamega used the requiem mass to demand compensation for the families of the perished 58.
They also asked the government to launch a commission of inquiry into the accident.
Amani National Congress party leader Musalia Mudavadi, Senators Moses Wetang’ula (Bungoma) and Cleophas Malala (Kakamega), former Senator Boni Khalwale, Kericho Governor Paul Chepkwony and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya also called for the arrest of police officers who were manning roadblocks between Nairobi and the accident scene.
Today, together with my Kericho counterpart Prof. Paul Chepkwony & other leaders from Western Kenya i.e @MusaliaMudavadi & @Wetangulam joined family, friends & residents of Kakamega County for the funeral service of the #FortTernan bus accident victims at Amalemba grounds. pic.twitter.com/KZHYsYC9E8
— Wycliffe A. Oparanya (@GovWOparanya) October 17, 2018
The leaders were making a series of demands, not new in the wake of public anger following last Wednesday morning crash involving a bus operated by the Western Cross Express Sacco.
They described the country’s transport system as a death trap where the role of safety has been left to a police force that has a big appetite for bribes and is unwilling to enforce traffic rules.
The politicians criticised the government and demanded the resignation of the Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary (CS) James Macharia.
However, enforcement of traffic rules is the work of the Interior Ministry through the police. Last week, the Interior CS said he took responsibility for the laxity but vowed to crack down on errant officers.
“The deaths were not God’s will but those who are supposed to inspect vehicles did not do their work right; those who were supposed to enforce traffic laws did not play their roles correctly. Something must be done,” said Mr Mudavadi.
Mr Mudavadi said the government should compensate the families because some of those who perished in the crash were the sole bread winners for their families.
“Insurance firms may fail to compensate the families if the bus will be found to be faulty. The government must, therefore, come in handy and compensate the bereaved families,” he said.
Mr Wetang’ula accused the Transport CS of failing to give a statement on the accident or send a condolence message to the families that lost their loved ones.
“In other countries, an accident of this magnitude would be declared a national disaster and attract the attention of the minister in charge and the Inspector-General of Police to condole with the bereaved families. But, unfortunately, this is Kenya,” said Mr Wetang’ula.
Senator Malala called for the Inspector-General of Police Joseph Boinnet to take responsibility for the accident.
The Kericho County government cleared hospital and mortuary bills for the injured and victims of the accident before releasing the bodies to their home counties.
Governor Chepkwony also joined the politicians in demanding that the accident be declared a national disaster.
Governor Oparanya urged passengers to desist from boarding overloaded vehicles.
He regretted that several rules that were intended to help curb road carnage, including use of uniform by PSV operators and mandatory seat belts, are no longer observed.