Eight people were killed and three others injured in a tragic road accident at Murubara along the Mwea–Embu Highway in Kirinyaga County early Saturday morning.
Mwea East Sub-County Police Commander Stephen Okal confirmed the incident that occurred at 6am saying the eight victims died on the spot.
According to Okal, a parcel truck travelling from Mwea towards Embu collided with a tuk-tuk that was heading towards Ngurubani.
The tuk-tuk was carrying farm workers travelling from Kimbimbi to the Mwea Irrigation Research area, where they were scheduled to plant rice. Six of the deceased were occupants of the tuk-tuk, while the other two were pedestrians who were struck by the truck along the roadside.
The driver of the parcel truck sustained minor injuries and was arrested as police launched investigations into the cause of the accident.
Two of the injured victims were admitted at Kimbimbi Hospital, while another, who suffered serious injuries was referred to Kerugoya County Referral Hospital for specialized treatment.
Bodies of the deceased were moved to Kerugoya Mortuary pending identification and post-mortem examinations.
Residents who witnessed the accident claimed the truck driver lost control of the vehicle while attempting to avoid potholes on the highway before crashing into the tuk-tuk and hitting the pedestrians.
Residents had a difficult time retrieving the bodies trapped in the mangled wreckage of the tuk-tuk and were forced to use a hacksaw to cut through the metal. One body was trapped under the parcel truck and had to be pulled out after a long struggle.
Meanwhile, residents of Murubara and other road users along the Mwea-Embu highway have raised concerns over the increasing number of accidents along the stretch of road, with some blaming potholes as major cause of accidents.
By Mutai Kipng’etich
