President William Ruto has expressed sorrow following a tragic accident on the Kisumu-Kakamega Highway on Friday evening, calling for immediate action from traffic authorities to bring those responsible to the book.
In a statement, Ruto sent his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the crash and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
“Our prayers are with the victims of the terrible accident…May the Almighty give strength to the families to bear with the loss,” he said.
Beyond his expression of sympathy, President Ruto urged traffic enforcers to act swiftly against any parties found responsible through negligence.
He also emphasised the need for a crackdown on traffic violations across the country.
“We ask traffic enforcers to act swiftly to bring to book those responsible for any acts of negligence leading to the accident and address all traffic violations to ensure road safety across the country,” he stated.
The 5:30 pm accident, which occurred at the Coptic area on the Kisumu-Kakamega Road, claimed 21 lives.
It happened when a school bus, which was ferrying mourners from Nyahera to Nyakach in Kisumu County, was trying to turn a corner at the Coptic blackspot but rolled.
Preliminary reports indicated that the driver lost control before the bus veered off the highway and overturned.
Confirming the incident, Nyanza Regional Traffic Enforcement Officer Peter Maina said the fatalities are 10 men, 10 women and an eight-month-old baby.
The 20 survivors were rushed to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital for treatment, with five being in critical condition.
Maina said the cause of the crash is yet to be determined and that mechanical experts will inspect the vehicle.
The Coptic roundabout, the scene of the accident, is a known fatal blackspot with several accidents occurring in the area.
Locals have in the past blamed the high number of crashes on poor road design, lack of proper and clear signage, and reckless driving.
