It is now emerging that the ill-fated vehicle in the fatal accident that killed nine (9) passengers on Monday, February 26 was speeding.
The chairperson of Speed Governor and Road Safety Association Edward Gitonga said the 46-seater matatu that lost control and rolled several times in Katangi, Machakos County, had no speed governor.
During the accident, eight (8) people were killed on the spot while one victim hospitalised succumbed to injuries.
In a press conference on Tuesday, February 27, Gitonga said preliminary investigations show the speed governor in the vehicle was removed on February 2, 2024.
Gitonga could not fathom how the bus, which was overloaded with 30 sacks of charcoal, has been able to operate in a route with heavy police presence.
‘CS Murkomen has failed’
The stakeholders now want Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to resign, claiming that he has failed to initiate mechanisms to curb the current surge in the number of accidents in Kenyan roads.
The chair Road Safety Association of Kenya, David Kiarie, accuses CS Murkomen of having failed in his responsibilities urging President William Ruto to replace him immediately to end the ongoing road carnage in the country.
Kiarie says since the minister took over the docket, road accidents have increased in the country without him doing anything to curb the menace.
“Such a blame goes to NTSA who have totally failed the Government for failing to serve Kenyans dedicatedly,'” he said, demanding that such an entity should be scrapped off as the staff were being paid for nothing.
The ill-fated vehicle has since been towed to Masii Police Station.
Those injured were admitted at Machakos Level 5 Hospital with others taken to different hospitals in Nairobi and Kitui counties.
Machakos County Health CEC Dr Daniel Yumbya says that six among the injured were treated and discharged.
The admitted, he says, included 26 men, 6 women and 3 children.
“Other victims were referred to Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi West Hospital and Coptic hospital,” he added.
He says those in Machakos hospital are doing well.
Kitui County Health CECM says of the nine bodies, three have already been identified.
Hospital bills
Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi said the county government would cater for the bills of those admitted at the local level five hospital.
“Her Excellence the Governor of Machakos county Wavinya Ndeti, who is away but cut short her journey owing to the phenomenon has told me to announce that all the victims will be taken care of by her government ” he added.
The Deputy Governor lamented that the national government had limited county governments’ share of funds, yet such county governments were tackling crucial matters pertaining health sector like this.
“This is killing the devolution by denying counties their rightful share of funds at the expense of Kenyans deserving services from them” he said.
