Several people were injured following an accident that involved five vehicles at Kipkaren market along the Eldoret–Webuye highway at the border between Kakamega and Uasin Gishu Counties.
According to Mr. Boniface Makokha, a conductor of one of the Nissan matatus involved in the early morning incident, the accident occurred after the driver of a truck heading to Eldoret from Webuye carelessly tried to overtake a petrol tanker that was in front without seeing another truck that was approaching from the opposite side of the road near Kipkaren bridge.
The driver of the second truck swerved to avoid a head-on collision before he lost control and rammed into a matatu that had slowed down to divert to Kipkaren stage. The matatu hit another which was closely ahead in turn.
Joseph Mwangi, the conductor of the second matatu plying the Eldoret–Bungoma route, also gave his account, “Passengers had just alighted at the market when we heard a loud screech before a vehicle rammed into our matatu.”
The truck, which was ferrying bags of fertilizer, tumbled metres away from the two matatus.
On the opposite side of the road, the driver who was trying to overtake a petrol tanker also lost control and rammed into it just directly on top of the bridge.
Hundreds of residents stormed the scene and made away with bags of fertilizer before police from Lumakanda arrived and stopped further looting. Those injured were rescued by good Samaritans and rushed to Lumakanda Sub County hospital.