Shitanda’s lucky escape in Kakamega accident

By Francis Ontomwa

Housing Minister Soita Shitanda. (Photo:Standard)

Housing Minister Soita Shitanda and his driver escaped death narrowly in an early morning accident involving three vehicles along the Webuye -Kakamega road.

The accident occurred at Mwiyala area, about a Kilometre from Kakamega town while the minister was traveling from his Malava home to Kakamega town.

Nobody was however injured in the 8am incident that sparked tension from onlookers who were at the scene of the accident.

Kakamega OCPD Joseph Omija said the Minister’s vehicle swayed into a ditch but was rescued safely.

The Malava MP who spoke to The Standard after the incident allayed fears that he had suffered any injuries whatsoever describing the development however as a lucky escape.

“I am grateful to have escaped this trap and I thank God for rescuing our lives, it was going to be very bad but we were lucky” noted Shitanda.

“We were about one Kilometre from Kakamega town when an oncoming lorry carrying power posts veered off the road and swerved towards our side,” he added.

 

He said his Toyota prado rolled and hit another vehicle that was ahead of him after it had avoided the head-on-collision effect with the lorry.

He reiterated the importance of buckling up seatbelts during traveling saying it saved their lives during the accident.

“Wearing of seatbelts helped us escape injuries and that is why we must continue stressing to Kenyans to embrace the belts” he said.

The lorry driver sped off after the accident but was later cornered by police at Butali and towed to Kakamega police station.