2 People Dead As Mash Cool Bus Heading To Malindi Collides With Trailer At Taru

• Two people died on Sunday morning, December 24, this afte their Malindi-bound bus collided with a trailer
• The accident occurred at a spot in the Taru area of Kwale county; the ill-fated bus belongs to the Mash Poa transport company
• Photos of the wreckage at the scene shared on social media depicted a terrible accident, with the Red Cross confirming 19 people were injured

Kai Eli, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Kwale county - Two people died, with others having sustained severe injuries after being involved in a road crash on the morning of Sunday, December 24.

The victims were on board a Mash Cool bus en route to Malindi from Nairobi.

Police said the bus collided with a Mercedes Benz truck near the Taru Town Center, along the Mombasa -Nairobi Highway.

What caused the Mash Poa bus accident?

Preliminary investigations established the driver of the trailer could not keep to his lane, prompting the bus to veer off the road in a bid to escape it.

The cabin of the truck was wrecked following the impact of the collision, with the bus, equally wrecked, overturning beside the road.

The Red Cross had earlier confirmed in an update that 19 people were severely injured.

They were rushed to the Samburu Sub-County Hospital for treatment.

The bodies of the deceased were booked into the Kinango Sub County Hospital Mortuary.

This came less than 24 hours after eight other people perished in separate accidents in various parts of the country.

In Turkana, four women selling milk were killed after a bus lost control and rammed into the crowd at Kalemngorok along the Lodwar-Kitale Highway.

Three others were killed by a PSV at a spot in Maili Nane along the busy Kitale-Eldoret highway where a lorry hit a bodaboda operator.

According to witnesses, the lorry driver was avoiding a pothole when he hit the rider on whose motorcycle were two passengers.

In Bomet, one was killed and two others injured after another lorry hit a motorcyclist.

Travellers cautioned

The national government issued a series of advisories to Kenyans to avert road accidents in the festivities.

The Inspector General of the National Police Service, Japhet Koome, instructed all officers on leave to resume work immediately owing to increased traffic on the roads.

Koome noted that the increase in numbers was due to the festive season, which led to a high movement of people and the heavy downpours currently experienced in most regions.

"The vehicular situation this year is further compounded by the ongoing heavy El Nino rains being experienced in many parts of the country, which in turn causes poor visibility on the roads. To increase police visibility and security in the country, we have directed all officers who are currently on leave to resume duty with immediate effect.

Why Koome wanted travellers to be vigilant

He further advised Kenyans, including cyclists, boda boda operators, passengers, pedestrians, and drivers, to be extra vigilant by observing all the traffic rules.

According to Koome, most traffic fatalities occur due to the negligence of those in transit.

"Regrettably, most road traffic accidents and crashes in the country are due to preventable human factors such as noncompliance with traffic regulations and rules, including driver fatigue, speeding, dangerous overtaking, driving under the influence of alcohol, operating defective vehicles, and failure to use safety belts," he added.

Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced a decrease in road accident casualties by 8.11% this year.

Murkomen said the number of traffic fatalities recorded from January 1 to December 7 was 3,999, compared to last year's 4,352.

"Over the last year, our collective effort has reduced road traffic fatalities. From January 1st to December 7th, 2023, we witnessed a commendable 8.11% decrease in lives lost due to road traffic injuries compared with the same period last year—down from 4,352 to 3,999," he remarked.

However, the CS noted with regret that the number of death cases had increased among cyclists due to factors such as speeding, dangerous cycling, and inadequate non-motorised transport facilities.