Driver killed by floods in Naivasha, along Mai Mahiu-Narok road

Stranded passengers and members of the public at Karima centre along the Mai Mahiu-Narok road

A driver was killed while his two passengers escaped death narrowly after a lorry they were travelling in was swept off by floods along the Mai Mahiu-Narok road.

During the Tuesday night incident, transport along the busy road was paralysed for over six hours after the floods rendered sections of the road impassable.

And for the umpteenth time, tens of motorists were stranded on the section of the road with some opting to use the longer route of Kericho to avoid the jam.

The accident occurred after the lorry that was heading towards Mai Mahiu town from Narok lost control following heavy rains around the area.

A witness Joseph Njoroge said the rains started at around 4pm and lasted for over six hours flooding farms and the road thus paralysing transport.

He said that the deceased decided to drive past the floods but he was overwhelmed and lost control before the lorry clashed in the roadside.

“In the process the lorry was swept away by the floods and the driver drowned while two other passengers managed to escape from the wreck,” he said.

Njoroge added that poor drainage along the road was responsible for the frequent flooding adding that the situation had been worsened by heavy rains in the nearby areas.

Naivasha OCPD Samuel Waweru confirmed the incident and called on motorists to be cautious while passing through the flooded road especially during the ongoing rains.

Waweru said that sections of the road were prone to flooding due to the ongoing rains adding that the body had since been collected and taken to Naivasha mortuary.

“We lost one driver following an accident along the Mai Mahiu-Narok road caused by the ongoing rains and we are asking motorists to be cautious during this period,” he said.

Meanwhile another driver died and two other people were injured following an accident along the Naivasha-Mai Mahiu road involving a truck and a canter.

The trailer that was heading to Naivasha from Mai Mahi was overtaking when it rammed head on in the incoming Canter killing its driver on the spot.

The OCPD blamed the accident on careless driving noting that among those injured and rushed to Naivasha sub-county hospital was the driver of the trailer.

“The accident was caused by careless overtaking and we are asking drivers to be cautious and exercise patience to avoid such kind of accidents,” he said.