Bus, truck collide at Kisumu Road junction injuring 31 people

Christmas Day turned tragic for tens of passengers who were headed upcountry after the bus they were travelling in was involved in a head-on collision with a truck at Kisumu Road junction.

The bus belonging to a Nairobi Sacco was heading towards Kisumu while the truck was headed to the opposite direction when the vehicles smashed into each other near the spot favoured by Kericho Traffic police officers for traffic checks.

According to Kericho Traffic Base Commandant Michael Kahare, the accident occurred at 6:40PM.

There were no deaths at the scene of the accident.

The seriously injured passengers were rushed by ambulances belonging Kericho County government and Red Cross rushed to Kericho District Hospital for treatment.

Three of the accident victims who were in critical condition suffered broken limbs and other soft body tissue injuries.

By 8:30pm, rescuers were still trying to free one of the passengers who was still trapped in the mangled wreckage of the bus which overturned on impact.

Matatu Owners Association Chairman Simeon Kimutai who was one of the first responders, blamed the accident on the bus driver being unfamiliar with the road.

“The bus ordinary operates a city route and the driver wasn’t familiar with the Kericho-Kisumu Highway. This is the reason Public Services Vehicles should not be allowed to take routes other than those they were licenced to ply,” he said.