14 killed, over 30 injured after trailer ploughs into crowd at Malaha junction in Webuye
At least 14 people have been killed and several others seriously injured following a horrific road crash at Malaha junction along the Webuye–Kitale highway in Bungoma County.
Police said the tragedy occurred yesterday night at around 9.45pm after a trailer lost control and rammed into a crowd of residents who had gathered at the scene of an earlier motorcycle accident.
According to a police report, the incident began when two motorcycles collided head-on along the busy highway.
One motorcycle was travelling from Webuye towards Kitale while the other was heading in the opposite direction.
The impact of the crash killed both riders instantly. Police noted that neither of the riders was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
“The riders died on the spot due to the impact,” the police report stated.
Following the collision, members of the public and boda boda operators rushed to the scene in an attempt to rescue the victims and assess the situation.
However, moments later, tragedy struck again when a long-distance trailer travelling from Kitale towards Webuye reportedly lost control and ploughed into the crowd that had gathered near the roadside.
The truck struck several pedestrians and people who had stopped to help, killing 10 of them instantly and leaving many others with serious injuries.
Emergency responders rushed the injured victims to Webuye Sub-County Hospital for treatment. Unfortunately, four more victims later succumbed to their injuries while receiving medical care, bringing the death toll to 14.
Authorities confirmed that 16 survivors remain admitted at the facility with severe injuries.
Police officers visited and documented the scene before moving the bodies of the deceased to the Webuye Sub-County Hospital mortuary, where they are awaiting identification and postmortem examinations.
Westlands Member of Parliament (MP) Timothy Wanyonyi who hails from Bungoma and he is brother to National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula condoled with the bereaved families and wished the injured quick recovery.
“To the survivors currently receiving treatment at Webuye Hospital and other facilities, I wish you a quick and full recovery. This tragedy, which began with a collision and escalated into a catastrophic event involving a high-speed trailer, is a sobering reminder of the fragility of life. I want to commend the first responders and the brave members of the public who rushed to the scene to assist the injured,” Wanyonyi said through a post on his X account, formerly Twitter.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the trailer driver may have fled the scene after the crash. Police have launched a search for the driver as part of ongoing investigations into the incident.
Webuye East Sub-County Police Commander Rosemary Odeke confirmed the accident and said authorities were working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash and confirm the exact number of casualties.
She urged motorists to exercise caution on the roads, particularly at night, warning that reckless driving and lack of safety measures continue to contribute to fatal accidents on the country’s highways.
Investigations into the crash are ongoing.
