Nine people perish in separate accidents

By Peterson Githaiga and Cyrus Ombati

Kenya: Nine people were killed and others injured in separate accidents in Nairobi and its environs.

In the first accident that occurred at Kitengela town near Yukos Petrol Station, two men were killed when a truck rammed a tuk tuk that was carrying three passengers, including the driver.

Witness told The Standard the driver escaped death after jumping out of the tuk tuk leaving the two men on board. The two died on the spot.

The truck driver said he saw the tuk tuk join the main road at a junction, tried to brake to avoid hitting it, but it was too late.

John Musyoki, a witness, said the tuk tuk driver underestimated the truck’s speed before joining the main road and after realising that all was not well, he jumped out of the moving vehicle and fled, leaving the two passengers.

And in the other accident that occurred two kilometres away from the first scene, at Kisaju in Isinya, three people died on the spot after they were hit by a speeding motorist who was reportedly driving under the influence of alcohol.

Isinya police boss Edward Wafula said the driver lost control of his car, which was heading to Nairobi from Kajiado, and knocked down three pedestrians who were waiting for a matatu at the road side.

“I am warning motorists driving along this particular road to shun speeding and careless driving,’’ said the police boss.

He said they will soon introduce alcoblow to nab those driving under the influence of alcohol.

Meanwhile, four people were killed in separate road accidents in the city at the weekend.

Sunday, a motorist fled from a mob that burnt his car after he hit and killed a pedestrian on Mbagathi Road, Nairobi.

The Toyota Prado was speeding towards City Mortuary when it hit and killed a pedestrian who was crossing. Nairobi head of traffic Edward Mwamburi said three other people were killed on Saturday night in road accidents in the city. They were all pedestrians.