Three people were killed and several others left with serious injuries after matatus they were traveling in were involved in a headon collision in the Wanjii area along the Murang’a-Nairobi highway early today.
Preliminary reports indicate that a matatu belonging to Nakonns Sacco, which was headed to Murang’a town plunged into River Maragua after hitting another matatu belonging to Murang’a Shuttle Sacco.
During the early morning incident, 24 passengers who were onboard the two PSV vehicles sustained serious injuries and were rushed to Murang’a Level 5 Hospital for treatment.
Confirming the incident, Murang’a North Traffic Base Commander Kennedy Muthamia said two female passengers died on the spot while the third victim, a male passenger, succumbed to his injuries before he could get to hospital.
“Majority of passengers, especially those who were in the Nakonns Sacco matatu, were seriously injured and we are still following up to establish their condition after they were taken to hospital,” he said.
The traffic boss and other witnesses present revealed that the Nakonns matatu was unable to negotiate a bend on the road due to speeding and hitting the Murang’a Shuttle from the side.
It is then that the Nakonns driver lost control and the vehicle plunged into the river.
“The driver of the Nakonns matatu was unable to negotiate a bend on the road due to speeding and hit the Murang’a Shuttle from the side. The Nakonns matatu driver lost control and the vehicle plunged into the river,” he stated.
“It seems the driver was unable to control the vehicle at the corner due to speeding which led him to hitting the oncoming matatu. KeNHA needs to consider erecting speed bumps at this section of the road,” a local boda boda operator told the Kenya News Agency.
Murang’a Shuttle stage attendant Esther Njeri said their matatu had departed from the stage at 6 am and had 14 passengers on board.
She noted the vehicle overturned after it was hit by the speeding vehicle and called on the government to enforce the installation of speed governors in all PSVs.
