Survivor reveals driver's last words before Party on Wheels bus crashed

One of the survivors of the ill-fated Party on Wheels bus that crashed along the Nanyuki-Meru road has revealed what happened moments before the accident.

The survivor said that the driver was not part of the party that was going on at the back of the bus.

He told journalists that at the time of the accident, the driver was with his co-driver in the front compartment.

The driver's section had been separated from the passenger side. The driver died due to the impact of the crash, but his co-driver survived.

Details of the Party on Wheels bus that killled 12 people in Meru accident on Saturday, October 8, 2022 Pulse Live Kenya

"The co-driver said he only heard the driver exclaim and say 'brakes' before he lost control of the vehicle and rammed into a trailer and 14-seater matatu.

"I am so lucky to be alive and I believe God loves me still because I was seated in the most wrecked part of the bus, but I don't know how I came out alive," the survivor narrates.

He added that the bus had 22 revellers, three of whom died. Nine of the passengers in the matatu perished.

According to the National Transport and Safety Authority, the bus did not have a valid inspection report or a Road Service License.

Details of deadly 'Party on Wheels' bus that killed 12 in Meru crash

The Party on Wheels bus was designed to hold revellers enjoying a good time while travelling.

It featured a minibar to provide drinks, screens, and speakers, as well as a DJ booth. Those who hired the bus also enjoyed a customised seating arrangement with comfortable cushions and dancing space.

First responders found alcohol bottles littered at the scene of the accident.

“The bus had a club with seats, tables and a liquor section. The passengers appeared to have been partying,” said an eyewitness identified as Jacob Mwiti.

Details of the Party on Wheels bus that killled 12 people in Meru accident on Saturday, October 8, 2022 Pulse Live Kenya

Buuri West deputy police boss Laura Khatiabi told the media that preliminary investigations showed that the driver lost control of the party on wheels bus and hit a 14-seater matatu and a trailer.

The bus then rolled for about 20 meters before hitting a tree, killing the driver and 10 other passengers on the spot.

One of the survivors passed away at St Theresa Mission Hospital in Kiirua after suffering head injuries and fractures.