NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 18 – The Kenyan cycling community is mourning the sudden death of their own, Caleb Omwoyo who passed away on Wednesday in a grisly road accident along Thika Road.
The 22-year-old who is an enthusiastic cyclist and a member of RDX Riders club, was riding back home on Thika Road from several errands, he met his death at Safari Park after a bus from Kenya Mpya Sacco overtook him at high speed and came to a sudden stop just a few metres infront of him to drop passengers.
READ: Justice for cyclist Caleb Omwoyo RIP & bicycle lanes on all Kenyan roads now!
By the time he realized the bus had stopped it was too late to hold the brakes or swerve, unfortunately he hit the back of the bus with all the force he was riding with. The impact left him nursing a head injury and he was pronounced dead on the spot.
This is a blow to the entire cycling community since Omwoyo, who is a founder of Bikeville (a business that deals with cycling parts and accessories) was training for a race which is to be held on 20th September.
To morn their own, the entire cycling community will hold a peaceful ride on Thika Road on Saturday, September 19 and place flowers on the spot where he died and also create awareness on the importance of sharing the road and looking out for cyclists on the road.
Meanwhile, a petition has been started online by Crispus Mahea to collect 100,000 signatures that will be presented to Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia demanding the driver of the Kenya Mpya Sacco bus be immediately arrested and charged with causing death by dangerous driving and apprehended according to the law.
Demand that the family of the late Caleb Omwoyo and his beneficiaries be given maximum monetary compensation.
Demand that the Kenya Mpya Sacco be held accountable and sanctioned to the maximum level for the dangerous behaviours of their drivers which has now become too common and which our traffic police department has demonstrated inability to stop.
Demand thatt the CS Macharia immediately embarks on a public sensitization exercise to educate all road users on safe driving behaviours on roads where citizens are increasingly taking to cycling for health, efficiency and economic reasons.