Deputy President William Ruto’s tour of the North Rift turned tragic on Friday after three people, among them two senior Uasin Gishu County government officials, died in a grisly road accident at Outspan area on the Eldoret-Nakuru highway.
The accident occurred after the Eldoret Water Services (Eldowas) vehicle, which the county officials were using, collided head-on with a truck in the 12.30pm accident.
The county officials were among the entourage accompanying the Deputy President, governors Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu) and Alex Tolgos (Elgeyo Marakwet) and over six Members of Parliament to the burial of veteran Nandi elder Mr Joel Kipsum at Timboroa in Uasin Gishu County.
The Deputy President had just attended a morning function in Eldoret Town where he handed over police vehicles and ambulances to the Uasin Gishu county government.
DIED ON THE SPOT
Police said two victims died on the spot while the third succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
One of the victims of the accident was admitted at Eldoret’s Mediheal Hospital in critical condition, while the other is at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in stable condition.
The driver of the trailer sustained minor injuries.
Uasin Gishu County Secretary Mr Peter Leley confirmed that the county government had lost two senior staff and sent a message of condolences to the bereaved families.
“We cannot reveal their identities as at now until we notify their families. This is very sad we had just concluded the colorful launch of county police vehicles presided by the Deputy President,” Mr Leley told the Saturday Nation on phone.
When the Daily Nation team arrived at the scene, a crowd was milling around the sorry sight with the victims’ personal effects including neck ties and phone covers strewn all over the scene.
Earlier, the Deputy President had presided over the flagging of 14 police vehicles which the county government of Uasin Gishu has partnered with the national government to improve security in the area.
The vehicles will be distributed to police stations across the county.
Eldoret West deputy OCPD Lazarus Wambua raised concern over the upsurge of accidents along the busy, newly-reconstructed highway and urged motorists to be careful when plying the route.
“Drivers have the tendency of endangering their lives and those of other motorists by over speeding on the newly-refurbished highway,” Mr Wambua said.
Eye-witnesses’ accounts, however, contradicted police on the casualties with the eye-witnesses claiming that they pulled three bodies out of the wreckage of the Eldowas vehicle.
“There were three pick-ups, but the other two managed to avoid the oncoming trailer. However, the Eldowas vehicle, which seemed to be speeding, did not notice the trailer and collided head on,” said Mr Elsha Talaam, an eye-witness.
The bodies of the deceased were moved to Moi Teaching Referring and Hospital (MTRH) mortuary.
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