Five family members perish in Gilgil road crash

Naivasha, Kenya: Five members of the same family died Friday night after a matatu they were travelling in was involved in an accident near Kikopey center in Gilgil.

The matatu that was heading to Nakuru from Gilgil rammed into an incoming lorry killing the three women and two men.

Six minors and two adults travelling in the ill-fated matatu were admitted to various hospitals in Gilgil.

The victims were incidentally coming from a family reunion in Kiambogo area and heading back to their homes in Mbaruk when the accident occurred.

According to a witness Joel Thuku, the matatu was driving downhill when it rammed into the incoming Canter.

Thuku said that the lorry was overtaking unaware of the oncoming matatu, leading to the 9pm accident.

"The lorry driver failed to give way to the incoming matatu and this led to a head on collision with two people dying on the spot," he said.

A senior police officer who declined to be named said that the injured were admitted in St Mary's Mission and Gilgil Sub-county hospitals.

"The family of around 15 people were coming from a party and heading back to their home when the accident occurred killing the five,” he said.

The officer said that initial investigations showed that the driver of the lorry was to blame adding that both drivers were among those seriously injured.

The officer blamed the accident on speeding and called on motorists to be cautious on the roads and avoid speeding.

In a separate incident, a driver of a canter died on the spot after he rammed into the rear of a stalled lorry near KCC village in Naivasha.

A witness, Amos Gichuru said that both vehicles were heading towards Nakuru when the accident occurred and the conductor of the Canter suffered serious head injuries.

"The Canter driver was in high speed and rammed into the rear of the stalled lorry. He died on the spot,” he said.