THIKA, Kenya, May 3 – At least nine people were killed on Monday after a matatu driver lost control and hit a tree near Thika town.
Police said the matatu was traveling from Nairobi to Murang’a when it veered off the highway, killing eight people on the spot.
The ninth died on the way to hospital, police said.
“A total of nine people have been killed in the accident, eight were killed on impact,” a senior Traffic Police officer said.
He said a preliminary report of the accident sent to Traffic Headquarters in Nairobi showed that six other passengers had sustained injuries after the accident and were rushed to hospital. The accident occurred at about 1 pm.
Police said they had not established the exact cause of the accident because “there was contradicting information from witnesses at the scene.”
According to police, some reports suggested that the matatu driver lost control when he avoided hitting an oncoming vehicle while trying to overtake while other witnesses said he was avoiding to hit a cow that was crossing the road.
Three other people were killed on the Nakuru-Kericho highway on Monday morning when a matatu they were traveling in collided head-on with a truck.
Road accident has been on the increase in the past week, with an alarming number of fatalities.
At the weekend, a prominent Nairobi Lawyer, his wife, their two children and two of his family members were killed when a bus rammed into their saloon car on the Keroka-Sotik road.
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