This archive report was first published on 5 August 2019.
On Monday morning, a devastating road accident occurred near Maguna trading centre, along the busy Nairobi-Nakuru Highway, claiming the lives of two young men aged 21 and 23.
The victims were crushed to death by a bus as they attempted to overtake a fleet of vehicles near Ushers Inn hotel.
The accident caused a major traffic congestion, with fellow operators protesting the deaths of their colleagues who were on their way from Naivasha to Kinungi.
According to James Kabono from Naivasha Safety Group, the number of accidents involving motorcycle operators has been on the rise.
He attributed the latest incident to the victims leaving their lane and hitting the oncoming bus heading towards Naivasha town.
“These are two young men who are well known in this area and it is sad that they had to die at such a tender age,” Kabono said.
He noted that the sector was losing at least two operators every month and called for refresher courses to address the rising number of deaths.
“We have recorded four fatal accidents near the scene in the last five months and it is time we held a meeting with the operators,” Kabono said.
He blamed drunk-driving, lack of driving licenses, and insurance as some of the challenges facing youths working in the sector.
“In some of the accidents, the operators were not licensed to be on the road while the motorcycles were not insured, further complicating the situation,” Kabono said.
On the same day, an eleven-year-old boy was hit and killed by a motorist on the same road near the gates of Naivasha GK prison.
Naivasha OCPD Samuel Waweru confirmed the incident, stating that all three bodies had been collected and taken to Naivasha mortuary.
“The wrecks in the two accidents have been towed to Naivasha police station and inquests files opened as part of our investigations,” Waweru said.
