Four people died in a tragic accident involving a bus and a tuk-tuk along the Thika-Garissa Highway in the Makongeni area in Thika town on Friday.
The victims included two women, a 10-year-old boy, and the tuk-tuk driver, who were all crushed to death by the Ukambani-bound bus.
Eyewitnesses recounted that both the bus and the tuk-tuk were heading in the same direction. The speeding bus hit the tuk-tuk from behind while attempting to overtake it, causing the tuk-tuk to roll and crash.
“I heard a loud bang and saw the tuk-tuk being dragged by the bus. Those who responded to the crash were trying to rescue the occupants of the tuk-tuk, but unfortunately, they had been fatally crushed. The scene was horrifying,” said Francis Muthee, an eyewitness.
Witnesses said the bus driver fled the scene to avoid the wrath of locals who were gathering around.
Samson Njau, a local trader, blamed the accident on the bus driver's negligence, stating that he was overtaking the tuk-tuk at high speed and with total disregard for other road users.
“It’s sad that innocent lives were lost. The scene was appalling. The bus driver could have avoided the accident if he had adhered to traffic rules by keeping a safe distance and avoiding overtaking in a risky area,” Njau said.
Residents expressed concern that the stretch of road is becoming a black spot, noting that seven people have died in accidents there over the past week.
They called on the government, through the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), to erect speed bumps and a footbridge in the area to reduce accidents and save lives.
They noted that children frequently risk their lives crossing the busy highway to reach schools in the area, including Kamenu and Barracks primary schools. The proposed bridge would also serve students from the Thika School of Medical and Health Sciences.
“We have lost school children and other innocent locals on this stretch. We are tired of burying our loved ones and we are appealing to the government to swiftly act on our plight and erect speed bumps and a footbridge,” said Mathew Ngugi, a local pastor.
They also urged motorists to be cautious and to adhere to traffic guidelines to reduce accidents and save lives.
The bodies of the victims were taken to General Kago's funeral home, while the wreckages of the bus and the tuk-tuk were towed to Thika police station.