Good morning,
Today marks about two days after the deadly road accident occurred, and the whole country is still mourning.
The horrific road accident in the Kenyan town of Londiani claimed the lives of at least 52 people and injured more than 30 others.
The accident occurred on Friday evening, July 1, 2023, when a truck veered out of control and hit several other vehicles and pedestrians at a busy junction.
The truck was carrying a shipping container when it lost control for unknown reasons. It then ploughed into a matatu, a taxi, and other vehicles. The impact of the collision was so strong that the truck overturned, and its container was crushed.
The accident also caused several pedestrians to be injured and others killed. Many of the victims were killed instantly, while others died later in hospital.
The death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are recovered from the wreckage.
The accident has caused widespread shock and grief in Kenya. President William Ruto has expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and promised to take care of hospital bills and burial arrangements.
As of Sunday, 37 bodies out of 52 people who perished were identified. Relatives also picked up eighteen bodies for burial arrangements at their respective homes, even as tracing and identification continue in different hospitals.
The Londiani accident is one of the deadliest road accidents in Kenya in recent years. It highlights the need for improved road safety measures in the country.
Meanwhile, here are stories making headlines at Opera News today;
SRC to press on with salary review despite President Ruto’s protests
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) will press on with the planned review of salaries for all public sector workers, including State officers, despite public remarks by President William Ruto advising against any pay increments for the highly paid senior officials.
The commission, which is independent of the Executive under the Constitution, said it will continue seeking public comments on the proposed review until July 13 before gazetting the new salary structure for State officers later this month while advising on adjustments to other public officers.
Double blow for motorists as Epra ignores levy cuts
Kenyans are overpaying for fuel after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) failed to effect changes to two levies, as prescribed by the Finance Act 2023, in its latest review of pump prices.
Epra, in the rush to revise fuel prices to reflect the new taxes, retained the Import Declaration Fee (IDF) and Railway Development Levy (RDL) at the previous rates, in what has seen Kenyans pay illegal levies.
Ruto’s Camp Spills the Beans on Why They’ll Be Heading to Court Today Ahead of Azimio’s SabaSaba Day
Hours after unapologetic president William Ruto and his allies hugely defended the controversial finance bill by hitting out the judiciary, the camp has allegedly revealed their next course of action.
As relayed by a trusted source, William Ruto’s camp has finally decided to face the matter in court today days after Justice Thande halted the implementation of touted finance bill.