Angry residents of Matunda in Bungoma County set a truck ablaze on Saturday after it lost control and crashed, killing five people along the Kitale-Webuye road.
Eyewitnesses reported that the truck, traveling from Webuye to Kitale, experienced brake failure, causing the driver to lose control. Despite attempts to regain stability, the vehicle rolled over, resulting in a fatal crash.
Among the victims were two boda boda riders, who were traveling from Kitale toward Webuye and were killed instantly.
“The truck lost control as it approached the Kiminini Matunda bridge. It crossed over to the opposite lane, hitting the motorcycle riders head-on before rolling over,” a witness recounted.
Another witness added that the runaway truck also struck water vendors who were at the scene, further increasing the casualty count.
Residents Demand Action
Following the crash, outraged residents gathered at the scene, condemning the frequent accidents on the Kitale-Webuye highway. In a show of frustration, they set the truck on fire, demanding that authorities deploy traffic officers to control speeding vehicles at the dangerous bridge.
Efforts by police to intervene were futile, as they arrived too late to prevent the destruction.
Recurring Highway Tragedies
This incident is not the first of its kind. In 2020, a similar crash at the Webuye-Kaburengu interchange claimed the lives of over 10 women who were selling goods by the roadside after a trailer lost control.
More recently, on March 4, 2025, a multi-vehicle collision involving a school bus and a trailer occurred at Kaburengu in neighboring Kakamega County along the Eldoret-Webuye highway, further highlighting the dangers of highway speeding and mechanical failures.
Elsewhere, on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway, a Saturday night crash at the Kinungi blackspot left one person dead and 16 others injured after a pickup truck rammed into a larger truck. Several victims required urgent medical attention.
Call for Road Safety Measures
With increasing cases of fatal accidents across major highways, residents and motorists are urging the government to implement stricter traffic regulations, enforce speed limits, and enhance vehicle inspections to prevent further loss of lives.
