From: Leo Odera Omolo
Date: Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 9:51 PM
ROAD CARNAGE CLAIM THE LIVES OF 34 PEOPLE IN NYANZA WITHIN FOUR DAYS ONLY, AS MATATU SLAUGHTER OF PEOPLE CONTINUE UNABATED.
Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City
At least a total of 34 people perished in fatal road carnage in Nyanza Province within four days, and more expected to die as the Matatu drivers flagrantly ignore traffic rules and regulations.
20 people lost their lives on what has now become a “Killer Road” within a section of Kisii-Migori road. The section is between Awendo town and Migori town, which is a stretch estimated to be about 35kilometers long.
Experts says the road is too narrow, with many sharp corners. Yet this is one of the busiest roads. It is traversed by heavy commercial vehicles, particularly long-haul trailers ferrying cargo to the neighboring Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi ,Uganda and even to the Easter parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Last Thursday a Matatu from Kisii town, heading to Migori, lost control and overturned about three kilometers from Uriri trading centre. This is a sharp corner downhill, towards Oyani river bridge, at Koigo. In this particular accident, 10 people lost their lives, while scores of others sustained serious bodily injuries, and were rushed to several hospitals in Migori town for treatment.
On Sunday evening, a Kisii bound Matatu collided with a trailer ferrying raw sugar-cane to the nearby Sony Sugar factory at Awendo. 7 people died instantly, while about the same number were rushed to Migori Hospitals with multiple bodily injuries for treatment.
A prominent Nairobi businessman and sports enthusiast, Mr John Bo Awiti-Otange, who witnessed the Thursday accident and even ferried some of the injured passengers to Hospitals in Migori said this section of the road is too narrow, and has a lot of dangerous sharp corners.
He made a passionate appeal to the government to widen this section of the road, between Ranen Market- Awendo, Stela Kakrao and Migori, in order to save many more lives. The government, particularly the Minister of Roads should make funds available for the expansion and widening of this section of the Kisii- Migori highway.
Apart from heavy commercial vehicles, trailers and matatus, and tractors hauling raw cane for crushing at the nearby SONY Sugar facility are also posing serious threats to other users of the road.
As if that was not painful enough to the surrounding villagers, on Sunday evening, while the same Mr. Awiti-Otange and his cousin Mr. Dave Nyamita, and other friends were having drinks at the nearby Rapogi Market, a telephone call came from Mrs Stellah Nyamita who had earlier gone to Migori town requesting her husband and Mr. Awiti-Otange to wait for her at Rapogi, so that all of them could go home together as she had boarded a Matatu which was then approaching Awendo town.
That was soon followed by another phone call from a good Samaritan, telling the group to go to the main highway road near Awendo, because a terrible accident had just occurred. The group rushed to the scene, but were shocked to find the young lady, Stellah Nyamita, with whom they had just exchanged niceties about 20 minutes earlier, among those laying dead by the roadside, following a collision between the Matatu and a Tractor.
Mr.Awiti-Otange immediately made a passionate appeal tot he Ministry of Roads and other relevant Ministries to make funds available so hat this particular section of the road could be widened, and most of its sharp corners straightened..
On Saturday, a Matatu, which belonged to Mololine, which was ferrying passengers from Kisumu to Nairobi via Kericho and Nakuru killed 14 passengers including the diver and his conductor. This was one of the worst accidents. A trailer smashed the Nissan Matatu and landed on its rooftop.
And on Monday morning, a Mini-bus traveling from Homa-Bay to Kisumu was involved in another serious accident at Rabuor, about 8 kilometers in the outskirt of Kisumu City. Several people died, while scores of others were seriously hurt and had to be rushed to the New Nyanza General Hospital for treatment.
In most accidents, the cause that was reported by passengers who had survived was over speeding and excess passengers. All these Matatus carry excess passengers and over speed, yet they pass through numerous police traffic check-points. Police traffic checks dot the roads in so many places on these roads, but not even one single Matatu is booked for court appearances on traffic offenses
There are sustained serious allegations against the traffic policemen manning road check-points, that they are always busy taking bribery collections from public transport operators. Each and every passing passenger vehicle must drop an envelope containing money for the policemen. They bother very little about over speeding and excess passengers.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com.
– – –
Subject: Fwd: Matatu carnage in Luo-Nyanza Roads continue unabated as 34 people perish within four days