One person was killed after a school bus flew down a cliff on the Kerio escarpments in Elgeyo Marakwet County last evening.
An occupant said to be a co-driver sustained serious injuries during the accident that reduced the 52-seater Kapchebau Secondary School bus into mangled wreckage.
Witnesses said the bus veered off the road along the steep, meandering Maron-Sambalat road and rolled several times on the rocky escarpment, killing the co-driver on the spot in Kapkirwok.
“The bus sped off down the road and suddenly flew off the road on the upper side of the cliff and landed on the same road on the lower side of the cliff. Some falling rocks fell and further wrecked the bus,” Abraham Ruto, a resident of Kaptul village near the scene of the tragic accident told The Standard.
Mr Ruto said locals rushed to the scene and discovered that the bus had two occupants including the driver and an unidentified occupant.
He said the seriously injured driver was rushed to Endo Mission Hospital in Marakwet East constituency and moments later referred to Kapsowar Mission in Marakwet East constituency for specialised treatment.
Ruto said police visited the scene and examined the wreckage.
Elgeyo Marakwet County commander John Mwinzi said the driver of the bus was heading to Tot Mixed Secondary to pick students who were heading to Kabarak University for this year’s national music festivals.
Mr Mwinzi said the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating bents in the rugged terrain.
“It was by sheer luck that the bus was not ferrying students at the time of the accident. We have launched investigations into the cause of the accident,” Mwinzi said.
He said injured driver was still unconscious by the time by the time this report was filed.
‘We are urging drivers plying the route to be very careful because the road is steep and has many corners,” said Mr Mwinzi.
It was anxiety at Tot mixed secondary school where excited students were waiting to perform at the 93rd national music festivals.
School principal Lawence Mutwol said his students were expected at Kabarak University today in readiness for their performance on Thursday.
“We in school waiting for the bus to arrive when we received the sad news. It unfortunate that the bus has crashed. We condole with the family of the deceased,” Mr Mutwol.
He said his school had paid Sh37,000 to hire the bus and was yet to secure another one to transport students to the music competitions.
