As we approach Christmas festivities, every other day is a nightmare on Kenyan roads as many people continue to lose their lives in road accidents.
Just this morning, four people have been confirmed dead and several others injured following a road accident at Archers Post on the Isiolo – Marsabit Road. The Saturday morning accident involved a lorry that was heading to Marsabit from Isiolo and a matatu that was headed in the opposite direction.
The bodies of the deceased were moved to the Isiolo Level 4 hospital mortuary as the injured continue to receive treatment at the same facility.
Yesterday afternoon, twelve people died and three others injured after the driver of a fuel tanker lost control and rammed into a matatu on the Eldoret-Webuye highway.
According to Western region traffic commandant Saitera Mwita, the tanker’s brakes failed causing it to lose control and ram into a Nissan matatu which was picking passengers at the Kaburengu market in Kakamega.
The matatu was travelling from Webuye headed to Eldoret while the tanker was from Eldoret enroute to Malaba.
The injured, a mother, her child and a man were rushed to hospital.
On Thursday this week, another person was killed and 7 others injured after an accident involving a bus and a tanker on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway.
According Nakuru OCPD Samuel Obara, the bus was coming from Eldoret to Nairobi while the tanker was headed in the opposite direction when the two vehicles collided head on at Ngata area.
If there is one common trend in all these accidents, it is the involvement of PSVs and lorries. Could it just be a coincidence that all the accidents reported on three consecutive days involve matatus?
The government has tried to bring an end to this road carnage menace by re-introducing the Michuki rules in a bid to do away with rouge drivers and unroadworthy vehicles but their efforts seem to bear no fruit as many continue to die on the roads.
Christmas is a time to celebrate with loved ones but for many families in Kenya, they are in mourning as they have lost dear ones to road accidents that could have been avoided should motorists only obey traffic rules.
What do you think is a permanent solution to ending road carnage in Kenya?