NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 18 – Three Kenyan students traveling to celebrate Christmas festivities back home from Uganda were killed in a road accident early on Thursday morning.
Eight others were critically injured during the accident that occurred at about 4am on the Bugiri road to Busia.
Those killed include a woman and two men.
Reports from Uganda indicate that those injured were admitted to the Bugiri district hospital where they were still undergoing treatment late on Thursday.
The victims were all third year students at the Kampala International University and were traveling to Busia border to catch buses to various parts of Kenya.
A senior police officer at the Western Provincial Police headquarters told Capital News they had been informed of the crash.
The officer said the accident occurred when a minibus they were traveling in overturned after a tyre burst.
“We are aware there was an accident that involved a Busia-bound matatu but we have not received more details on it. Our counterparts in Uganda are yet to communicate further details to us,” the senior officer said.
Road carnage is a common occurrence in Kenya and Uganda and many other African countries where it accounts for a high number of deaths annually.
Authorities attribute the increased number of accidents to poor infrastructure and overloading.
In Kenya, Traffic Commandant Aggrey Adoli recently warned motorists to observe traffic regulations, particularly during the festive season when many people travel to various destinations for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
He particularly warned drivers of public service vehicles to avoid the holiday ‘rush’ to make money at the expense of passenger-safety and regulations under which they operate.
“Those with the habit of driving under the influence of alcohol should desist because they risk their lives and those of the people they are ferrying. This applies to both private and public vehicle drivers,” he said.
On Tuesday night, a soldier was killed and 19 other seriously wounded after a truck they were traveling lost control and rolled several times in Lokichogio.
Military Spokesman Bogita Ongeri told Capital News those injured had been airlifted to the Forces Memorial Hospital in Nairobi where they were undergoing treatment.
About The Author
