This archive report was first published on 8 January 2020.
On Tuesday evening, a tragic road accident claimed the life of Kenyan international athlete Kenneth Muriithi Njiru, who was heading towards Nyahururu Town in his saloon car.
The vehicle collided head-on with a Toyota land cruiser ferrying tourists from Nyahururu to Nyeri, leaving three Russian tourists injured and admitted at Nyahururu County Referral Hospital.
According to Nyandarua North police boss Timon Odingo, the athlete's vehicle lost control at the Equator area and drove towards the wrong direction, resulting in a head-on collision with the tourist vehicle.
"The athlete's vehicle lost control and drove towards the wrong direction. The driver of the tourist vehicle tried to divert but they collided head on," Odingo stated.
The athlete, who represented Kenya in the 2018 3000 steeplechase at the 21st Africa senior athletics championships in Asaba, Nigeria, died instantly in the accident.
Investigations into the accident have been launched, and the body of the deceased was moved to Nyahururu County Referral Hospital.
Image: The scene of the accident on Nyeri-Nyahururu Road. (James Munyeki, Standard)