By Standard Team

Five people have died and scores injured in two separate accidents on the Mombasa-Malindi Highway.

Six passengers and a matatu driver were injured in the first accident that occurred when a public transport vehicle rammed a milk van near the Pirates Public Beach on Tuesday.

Provincial Traffic Officer Joshua Omukata said the matatu driver was speeding and wanted to overtake a personal vehicle when the accident occurred.

In the second incident, a motorist died in an accident involving a politician.

Witnesses said Mr Franco Esposito, who unsuccessfully contested the Magarini parliamentary seat in the last General Election, suffered fractures on his right ankle when his car collided head-on with another vehicle. The driver of the other car, who is said to have been overtaking a lorry at Kijipwa in Kilifi District, died on the spot during the weekend incident.

Esposito was taken to the Mombasa Hospital but was later discharged.

Meanwhile, accidents claim 16 lives weekly in Nyanza Province, latest police reports show.

Police say motorcycles and tricycles popularly known as Tuk Tuk cause 90 per cent of the accidents.

Nyanza provincial Traffic Enforcement Officer Martin Kinoti said on Tuesday they had arrested 1,441 people over various traffic offences. The arrests began at the weekend in a crackdown, he said.

Kinoti said they had prepared charge sheets for 822 people who would be charged for flouting traffic rules this week.

"We will not compromise service delivery and allow matatus to gamble with people’s lives," said Kinoti.

— Stories by Maureen Mudi, Paul Gitau and Kepher Otieno