This archive report was first published on 11 November 2019.
Eight people were killed in an accident involving a lorry and two matatus on Eastern bypass, Nairobi, on Sunday.
According to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the accident occurred near Kangundo Road junction, causing a major traffic snarl up.
Witnesses claimed that the lorry was forced to come to an abrupt stop by traffic officers before its driver lost control and rammed onto the two matatus.
Locals barricaded the road with stones in protest, forcing the officers who were at the scene to flee for their lives.
NTSA reported that 2,735 people were killed by October this year, an increase of 400 victims compared to the same period in 2018.
Of those who died this year, 2,263 were men (83.3 per cent) and 459 women (16.7 per cent).
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i said the figures are high despite campaigns to address the issue.
He added that security agencies are mounting an operation in the country ahead of the festive season to address the menace.
NTSA also reported that road crashes are the highest contributors to disability in Kenya, health burden, and poverty through loss of able breadwinners.
According to the agency, an estimated 3,000 deaths from road crashes occur annually in Kenya, and about 40 per cent are pedestrians.
NTSA further stated that most accidents happen on Sundays and Saturdays, followed by Fridays, Mondays, Wednesdays, Tuesdays, and least ones on Thursdays.
On Sundays alone, some 497 people have been killed as compared to 480 who died on Saturdays and 406 on Fridays.
