Ten people died in a horrific accident in Kakamega

Ten people were killed in a horrific road accident along the Kisumu-Kakamega Highway near Iguhu Bridge on Wednesday evening.

A tanker heading to Kakamega reportedly lost control and rammed into two 14-seater matatus heading to Chavakali.

Dozens of passengers were injured in the accident and were rushed to Vihiga County Referral Hospital and Kakamega County Referral Hospital where they are being treated.

According to police reports, the accident happened around 6 p.m.

The driver of the tanker truck is said to have fled after the accident.

The truck reportedly hit a bump, lost control and veered to the right side of the road.

“The impact caused ten people to die on the spot and twenty people to be injured,” the police report said.

The bodies were taken to Kakamega County General and Referral Hospital Morgue pending identification and post-mortem.

“Efforts are being made to locate the driver,” the report reads in part.

In September, police expressed concern over the rising number of accidents and urged the public to adhere to traffic rules to prevent further loss of life.

Kenyans have been asked to prioritize road safety and ensure all traffic rules are adhered to to curb the escalating number of fatalities. The call followed a report showing that 3,369 people died in road accidents between January and September 16, 2024.

National Police data shows that 1,281 of the fatalities were pedestrians, followed by 825 motorcycles, 654 passengers and 281 drivers.

The data also shows that a total of 16,979 people were affected by road accidents in the first nine months of 2024. The figures indicate a slight increase in the number of road deaths compared to the same period last year, when 3,151 people died in road accidents.

Road accidents pose an increasing burden on the country’s public health services. Over the past decade, traffic fatalities have increased by 43 percent and average 59 deaths per 10,000 vehicles per year.