At least five people were Saturday, June 24 killed when a truck and a school bus were involved in a road accident at Kaburengu junction, Eldoret-Kakamega-Bungoma Highway.
The deceased were five pupils of Ebenezer Academy in Busia County, police said.
The school’s teachers and pupils are among at least six people injured in yet another road accident at the Kaburengu blackspot.
The accident occurred after a school bus that was descending the steep Chimoi slope towards Webuye town rammed into a truck, a witness said.
The incident caused a huge traffic snarl along the busy stretch.
The driver of the Mercedes Benz escaped from the scene and police have launched a manhunt on him.
The five – four girls and one boy – died on the spot, police said.
Their bodies were moved to the Webuye County Hospital mortuary.
This came hours after three people died Saturday in a road accident in the Salgaa area along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway.
Witnesses and police said the victims included two students and a driver
The matatu was heading to Eldoret from Nakuru when it collided with the lorry head-on.
The matatu had 15 passengers, including several students who were heading home after their school reportedly closed for the half-term break.
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Other passengers who were injured in the accident were taken to various hospitals in Nakuru County, police said.
Wreckage of the matatu was towed to the roadside as traffic marshalls moved to prevent a traffic snarl-up.
Motorists were warned against reckless driving, especially with the Safari Rally underway in Naivasha and students closing schools for half-term breaks.
The number of accidents has been on the rise in the country.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) recorded 1,679 deaths in road accidents between January and May 2023.
The fatalities were 77 fewer than 1,756 recorded in the same period in 2022.
Out of the 1,679 deaths, pedestrians accounted for 571 fatalities recorded followed by motorcyclists at 449, and passengers at 323 passengers and drivers at 149.