One dead, driver injured as school bus falls off cliff in Egeyo Marakwet

The mangled wreck of Kapchebau Secondary School bus that was involved in a road accident last evening on Maron-Sambalat Road in Elgeyo Marakwet. [Stephen Rutto, Standard]

One person was killed in Elgeyo Marakwet on Tuesday evening after a school bus plunged several metres off a cliff on the Kerio Escapement.

An occupant said to be a co-driver died at the scene of the accident that left the 52-seater Kapchebau Secondary School bus smashed.

Witnesses said the bus veered off the meandering Maron-Sambalat Road and rolled several times near Kapkirwok.

“The speeding bus suddenly flew off the road on the side of the cliff,” said resident Abraham Ruto.

He said locals rushed to the scene and discovered that the bus had two occupants, the driver and his colleague who died on the spot.

The driver was taken to Endo Mission Hospital in Marakwet East and later moved to Kapsowar Mission in Marakwet East constituency.

Elgeyo Marakwet police boss John Mwinzi said the bus was headed to Tot Mixed Secondary School to pick students for this year’s national music festivals being held at Kabarak University.

Mwinzi said the driver lost control while negotiating bends on the rugged terrain.

“It was by luck that the bus was not ferrying students at the time of the accident. We have launched investigations into the cause of the accident,” he said.

The police boss added that the driver was still unconscious by the time the report was filed.

“We are urging drivers to be very careful because the road is steep and has many bends,” Mwinzi said.

It was sad news at Tot Secondary School where students waited for the bus to attend the festival.

Principal Lawrence Mutwol said he received the sad news as they were preparing to ferry students to Kabarak.