Tag: Kenya

45 killed in road accident in Kenya

Kericho (IANS). At least 45 people were killed and several others injured in a road accident on a busy highway in western Kenya. Rift Valley Regional Police Commander Tom Odero said on Friday that the accident occurred at 6:30 p.m. In Kericho County, the driver of a truck lost control and rammed into pedestrians, hawkers and some vehicles parked on the side of the road.

“We have about 45 bodies and the death toll could rise,” Odero told Xinhua by phone. He said many people were still trapped inside the vehicles and under the truck.

“Rescue efforts have been slowed down by heavy rain at the scene,” Odero said.

The truck was headed towards the city of Kericho, Xinhua news agency reported. It went down the road on the Nakuru-Kericho Highway.

According to the National Transport and Safety Authority, an estimated 3,000 people die in road accidents in Kenya each year, despite concerted efforts by the state and the private sector to promote safety on highways.

July 1, 2023
Police In Kenya Clash With Anti-government Protesters In Nairobi

Police in Kenya clashed with anti-government protesters in the capital, Nairobi, in a fresh round of demonstrations called by the opposition leader.

Protesters who turned up early Tuesday morning to erect barricades on major roads around the city threw stones at police, who responded with tear gas. A bus was torched.

Business was paralysed in Kisumu County, an opposition stronghold, as police clashed with protesters.

The opposition is calling for action to tackle the cost of living and reforms to the electoral commission that oversaw last year’s election that was won by President William Ruto.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga rejected the government’s position that the Tuesday protests are illegal and urged his supporters to turn up in large numbers.

Odinga said the protests will be peaceful. The police chief had banned the protests, citing previous violent protests that led to businesses being looted and Kenyans being robbed.

Ruto on Monday warned opposition supporters against destroying private property, saying he would not allow violent protests. He urged Odinga to reconsider returning to talks.

May 2, 2023
14 killed in road accident in Kenya

Nairobi (IANS)| At least 14 people were killed and several others injured when a university bus and a 14-seater minibus collided on a busy highway in Kenya on Thursday, police said. Rift Valley regional police commander Tom Odero said the bus was carrying about 30 students on their way to a sporting event when the accident happened in Naivasha, about 90 km from Nairobi, Xinhua news agency reported.

The bus overturned and 14 people died on the spot, Odero told Xinhua. This number may increase. Eyewitnesses said the driver of the Pavani University bus lost control and rammed at least five vehicles before rolling into a gorge.

Road safety enforcers in Kenya have blamed speeding and drink driving for the increase in road accidents. According to the National Transport and Safety Authority, about 3,000 Kenyans are killed in road accidents annually, despite concerted efforts by the state and the private sector to boost safety on highways.

–IANS

March 31, 2023