Author: MERCY KAHENDA
AfricaPress-Kenya: A 33-year-old motorcycle operator died in a road accident involving National Assembly Deputy Speaker’s vehicle at Kamara area, along the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway.
Confirming the accident, the Rift Valley Traffic Enforcement Officer Dorothy Muleke said the accident occurred on Sunday at around 4.30pm.
The vehicle, a Mercedes Benz was being driven by Parliament Deputy Speaker Moses Cheboi who was heading towards Molo town from Mau Summit, while the rider was headed in the opposite direction.
However, on arrival at the scene, the motorcycle rider tried to avoid a pothole along the highway, but he hit Cheboi’s vehicle head-on.
He died on the spot while Cheboi, also Kuresoi North MP escaped unhurt.
Cheboi was alone in the vehicle.
“The National Assembly Deputy Speaker was driving home in his Mercedes Benz when he hit a motorcycle along the highway,” said Ms Muleke.
The passenger onboard the motorcycle sustained severe injuries and was rushed to Molo Sub County Hospital where he is receiving treatment.
The body of the deceased is at Molo Sub County Hospital morgue awaiting an autopsy while Cheboi’s vehicle was towed by the police to Mau Summit Police Station for inspection.
“Police are holding the vehicle belonging to the Deputy Speaker as we commence investigations into the accident,” she added.
Following the accident, Ms. Muleke has asked road users to observe erected signage along the busy highway to avert accidents and deaths.
Kamar is among blackspot areas along Nakuru-Eldoret Highway, where several people have died with others injured.
Other blackspot areas along the highway include Sobea, Salgaa, Migaa, Sachangwa, Total, and Equator.
The most memorable accident along the busy highway is Sachangwan tragic fire on January 31, 2009, that left 131 people dead after a tanker ferrying 50,000 liters of petrol headed to Juba in South Sudan went up in flames after an accident.
Following multiple accidents along the highway, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KenHA) erected speed bumps in black-spot areas along the highway to curb road carnage.
A wall constructed from Salgaa area towards Total has also helped reduce accidents along the busy highway.
“We are asking all road users including passengers to be keen while plying along the highway, to avoid anticipated deaths,” said Muleke.