Two dead, two seriously injured in road accident on Siaya-Kisumu highway

Kisumu, Kenya: Two people have died and two others are seriously injured following a road accident in Siaya-Kisumu highway.

The incident happened at around 2 p.m. after a driver of a matatu swayed off the road while trying to avoid to hit a probox and rammed into two bodaboda riders and two other pedestrians. The matatu was travelling from Siaya and a probox was from Kisumu.

Siaya Police commandant John Murage said that the matatu driver was the cause of accident since he was trying to compete with another matatu for customers.

Murage mentioned that the matatu was being driven at a high speed and the driver could not apply the brakes to avoid the probox that emerged from opposite direction and opted to sway off the road hitting the four people.

“Preliminary findings show that the driver was not able to control the matatu and ended up killing two bodaboda on the spot. The bodaboda operators were cycling from the opposite side of the road,” he added.

Angry residents started hitting the matatu with stones immediately the passengers alighted and eventually set it on fire.

Wreckage of the burnt matatu. (PHOTO: OLIVIA ODHIAMBO/ STANDARD)

An eye witness said that the driver was not a trained one but a tout who was actually helping to get customers before the real driver would take over for the matatu to leave for Kisumu.

The two pedestrians have been rushed to Siaya County Referal Hospital for further treatment while the driver of the matatu is still at large with his crew.

The wreckage of the matatu is being held at the police station.