Five killed, four seriously injured in accident along Mukinduri – Baricho road

The wreckage of a pickup truck which was involved in a head-on collision with a school bus at the Mombasa Dogo section of the Mukinduri -Baricho road. (Munene Kamau, Standard)

A village in Kirinyaga County is mourning the tragic deaths of five people through a road accident that occurred at Mombasa Dogo section of the Mukinduri – Baricho road.

Residents of Kiamuruga village lost five of their family members while four others were seriously injured after a vehicle they were traveling in collided head on with a school bus on Tuesday evening.

Two of the victims died on the spot while two other were pronounced dead on arrival at the Kerugoya Level Five hospital.

According to the hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Gideon Mburu, the fifth victim succumbed to serious injuries while being resuscitated at the facility.

“We still have the four admitted at this hospital with one who underwent an emergency surgery still in a critical condition while the other three are now stable,” he said.

The pickup truck they were traveling in was taking them back home after a coffee picking expedition on casual basis at Kiamwenja village.

According to the Kirinyaga County Police Commander Leah Kithei, the driver of the pickup was over speeding and lost control before leaving his lane and crashed into the bus head on.

“Our preliminary investigations point at over speeding by the pickup truck driver going by the tyre marks which clearly showed he veered from his side and hit the oncoming bus head on and also by the fact that he was among the two who died on the spot,” the police boss said.

It was also claimed by those who knew the driver of the pickup driver Muthii wa Beatrice that he had left a bottle of beer at a pub in Kerugoya town on a table and rushed to pick the workers and come back immediately to continue with enjoying his stuff.

Only the bus driver who sustained slight injuries after it was hit on his side while eight teachers on board escaped unhurt.

A resident was said to have been left with five children small after it emerged one of those who perished was his wife while those affected we close relatives.

The bloodies of the victims were removed to the Kerugoya County Funeral Home while the extensively damaged pickup and the bus were towed to a nearby police station to await inspection.