5 feared dead in Mombasa Road accident involving Maptra Sacco matatu and trailer

The Wednesday incident involved a 14-seater matatu belonging to MAPTRA Sacco and a stationary trailer.

According to police, four people died on the spot after the matatu rammed into the stationary truck from behind.

Reports indicate that one more passenger from the 14-seater succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at the Shalom Hospital.

MAPTRA Sacco 14-seater registration KCN 289P which was involved in an accident along Mombasa Road on July 21, 2021 Pulse Live Kenya

Eye-witnesses have attributed the accident to poor visibility, accusing the trailer truck driver of not putting on hazard lights or any other indicators that his truck had stalled on the road.

"The trailer stalled on the road and the driver did not bother to put indicators or warning signs to guide the other road users. Several vehicles nearly rammed into the trailer before the matatu rammed on it. The matatu was speeding and there was no alternative to swerve the vehicle to the right as there was another oncoming lorry heading in the opposite direction," one eye-witness told reporters.

Police were yet to confirm the cause of the accident at the time of reporting, it had also not been established how many other passengers were injured in the tragic accident.

Kenya Road crash statistics

A recent World Bank survey of road crashes in Kenya indicated that up to 67% of road crash victims are individuals in the economically productive age group of between 15 - 64 years.

The ratio of male to female fatalities within the 15 - 49 years age group was 3:1, being the most vulnerable to fatalities.

World Bank also flagged Kenya for not being in compliance with six out of 10 UN Vehicle Safety Regulations.

These were listed as Frontal and Side Impact (Reg. 94, 95), Motorcycle Anti-Lock Braking System (Reg. 78), Pedestrian Protection (Reg. 127), Electronic Stability Control (Reg. 140), Seat Belts and Anchorages (Reg. 16, 14) and the requirement for Periodic Inspection.

Kenya had, however, complied with the Regulation of Import of Used Vehicles, 8 Import Age Limit, 3 Taxation Based Limits and Import Inspections requirements.

Accident graphic Pulse Live Kenya

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) is yet to release the latest statistics for road crashes in Kenya.

A November 2020 NTSA report indicated that 2,689 lives were lost between January 1 and September 30, 2020, compared to 2,655 during the same period in 2019, an increase of 1.3 per cent.