We are pursuing leads on teenagers' New Year road accident, say police

The wreckage of a car involved in an accident where two people died on the spot in Migaa near Salgaa on Saturday night. The accident involved a passenger bus that was heading to Nairobi from Kisumu and a stationed saloon car. [PHOTO: KIPSANG JOSEPH/STANDARD]

Police and the National Safety and Transport Authority (NTSA) have said they are investigating how a vehicle owned by a police officer ended up in the hands of teenagers, who perished in a road accident on the eve of New Year.

The five teenagers died at Salgaa in Nakuru County after the vehicle rammed into a bus at the notorious black spot.

Police yesterday said no action has been taken against the Njoro based Administration Police Officer so far, as they are still pursuing more leads on the incident.

The officer, Julius Kioko, confessed the vehicle that was being driven by the teenagers belonged to him but denied hiring it out to them.

Nakuru AP Commandant Francis Kirathe said investigations will determine what action if any will be taken against the officer.

“More leads are being conducted to establish how the vehicle landed in the hands of the teenagers before any action is taken against the officer,” said Kirathe following an exclusive  story by the Standard on Sunday.

Burial arrangements for Kevin Kamuru 19, Bill Kamau 16, Brian Kariuki 17, Derrick Mbugua,18 and Dominic Mwangi have been going on in various estates in Nakuru.

Two of the victims including the driver had just cleared school and were waiting for their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results.

NTSA Chairman Lee Kinyanjui said they are investigating the cause of many accidents occurring at Salgaa.

Kinyanjui, however, said accidents involving trucks rolling down the escarpment had decreased following speed mitigation measures introduced by the authority.

“It is worth noting that in the past, accidents were caused by trucks rolling down the escarpment and hitting the climbing vehicles. This has been reduced remarkably after speed mitigations we undertook,” he said.

Kinyanjui said drink driving and substance abuse remain key challenges, especially among young drivers, adding that 80 per cent of accidents are caused by human factors.

“We shall continue to enforce speed limits while at the same time look for long term solutions like expanding the roads,” he said.

But Njoro MCA Hezekiah Kariuki accused police officers of failing to take action against errant drivers, leading to more unwarranted deaths along the  road.

“On the same day the youths died, we had another accident in Njoro, where two people riding on a motorbike were crushed to death by a vehicle but police did not arrest the driver,” the MCA said.

DISBAND NACADA

National Authority for the Campaign Against Drug Abuse (Nacada) board member Charles Njagua said wanton deaths of youths in road accidents, some of them under the influence of alcohol, is an indication that the authority had failed and there is need to reconstitute it.

Njagua, popularly known as Jaguar, called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders to salvage the youths from the scourge that is threatening the society.

“The recent research by Nacada is shocking in that 50 per cent of the Kenyan youths are engaging in either alcohol or drug abuse. We either act now or in two years we will have a big problem,” said Njagua.

He reiterated his calls for the disbandment of the authority’s board and pave way for fresh its composition, saying the rising cases of children involved in alcohol and drugs was an indication that it had failed to deliver on its mandate.

Elsewhere, wives of MPs yesterday reacted with shock to rising cases of teenage deaths in accidents and alcoholism during the festivities.

They blamed the tragedy on failure of law enforcement by State security agents against illegal bar and club owners, who allowed under age revelers to drink alcohol.

Speaking yesterday in Mombasa, the National Assembly Lady Spouses Association (NALSA-K) said  law enforcement agencies had failed to arrest and prosecute owners of establishments selling alcohol and drugs to children, saying they had turned “our children into cash cows.”

“We are grossly concerned about the recent incidents of children and youth caught in bars and homes participating in immoral acts. A few days ago, about 60 teenagers were arrested in Migori, while heavily intoxicated,” said NALSA-K Chair Jackie Kiaroho. She said the country was losing many youths and children in road accidents while others engaged in immoral activities, calling on legislators to enact tough laws to stop the vices.

Report by Karanja Njoroge, Mercy Kahenda and Benard Sanga