BUNGOMA COUNTY. Five people including a truck driver which was carrying molasses sunk into Nzoia river after a bridge that connects Kakamega and Bungoma counties through Navakholo and Webuye West constituencies collapsed while the vehicle was crossing to Webuye from Kakamega.
According to residents, the trailer was carrying molasses from Navakholo through the Kuywa Bridge at around 9pm when the bridge couldn’t withstand the heavy weight of the truck and this caused its collapse before the truck had crossed over.
“This truck sunk into the river last evening when the bridge collapsed before it had crossed over from the Navakholo side in Kakamega county. The truck sunk deep into the water with everyone on board including the driver,” said Ben Murunga a retired chief of Sitikho area in Webuye West.
The residents said the truck driver had picked a young boy to give them directions on the route because they weren’t familiar with the road. It’s feared the young man and two other unidentified people have all drowned. The truck is still lying in the river as the residents look on helplessly.
Communication breakdown
A former councillor of that area Eric Soita Patroba who was also at the scene said the breaking down of the bridge has paralyzed activities between the two Counties including education, and businesses among other economic activities bearing in mind that was the only connection between the two sides of the river in that region of the two Counties.
“We have over 200 students who come from the Navakholo side to Kuywa secondary school and due to this breakdown those students will not be able to continue with their studies hence I appeal to well-wishers including Kenya Red Cross, the government among others to help us get tents and other facilities to host the students until the bridge is restored,” said Soita.
At the same time, they urged the county governments of Bungoma and Kakamega under governors Ken Lusaka and Wycliffe Oparanya respectively to work jointly to ensure that a new bridge is put up as soon as possible with assistance from the national government.
Collapse blamed on poor workmanship of the bridge
The residents blamed the shoddy work done in putting up the bridge saying it must be the cause of its collapse.
“Look at the way this bridge was joined to the pillars with a very small allowance that could not sustain the weight of the bridge and vehicles crossing over and that is why it has finally collapsed,” said another resident.
They said that the government should now hire good engineers who are qualified to put up the new, safer bridge.
Divers’ efforts thwarted
Efforts to retrieve the bodies from the lorry by the residents were still underway with little hope of succeeding given that the front part of the truck had sunk very deep into the river.
Three divers who showed up at the scene to assist in the search couldn’t gain much as they tried to manoeuvre their way through the deep water but couldn’t withstand the river torrents.
