feared
Over 20 Feared Dead as Speeding Lorry Rams Into Crowd in Migori Town
UPDATE Saturday, April 8: Azimio party leader Raila Odinga sent his condolence message to the victims’ families.
“I offer my deepest sympathies to all those who have lost their loved ones, friends, and colleagues in the tragic accident that occurred this morning at the boda boda stage in Migori town,” Raila stated.
“May God grant you all fortitude to get through this difficult moment,” he added.
At least 9 people were killed and others injured in a grisly accident after a lorry lost control and rammed into a boda boda parking spot in Migori County on the Migori-Isibiania road on Saturday morning, April 8.
Residents gathered near the grisly incident in Migori County on Saturday morning April 8, 2023
Collins Mwanga
Eyewitnesses who spoke with Kenyans.co.ke confirmed that the driver was among the victims who suffered critical injuries.
The lorry was said to have crashed near Migori Primary School after the driver failed to control its speed outside the CBD.
“We saw the lorry speeding into town, and it crashed passers-by, motorists, and boda boda riders as it went down the hill.
“It then rammed into a lorry with sand, forcing it to stop. If the lorry without sand weren’t in that spot, then the lorry with rice (which lost control) would have killed more,” the eyewitness who works near Easy Coach booking station in Migori stated.
He added that some residents resorted to stealing the rice while others rescued the victims. Police also rushed to the scene to man the crowd and traffic.
Alongside the police were other rescue personnel rushed to the area to rescue the victims and transfer them to the nearby hospitals. Dead bodies were also ferried to a nearby morgue.
It was reported that the accident occurred after the lorry’s brakes failed to cause it to lose control on the steep terrain.
According to data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), 1,072 lives were lost in road accidents between January and March 2023, with the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway being the most dangerous road in the country.
Following rampant accidents, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced a crackdown on all unroadworthy vehicles to reduce the fatalities.
The aftermath of an accident involving a lorry in Migori town on Saturday, April 8, 2023
Migori News
“I directed NTSA to heighten surveillance to ensure unroadworthy vehicles are not allowed on our roads,” the CS declared.
Murkomen also announced measures to reduce the casualties, including, cameras on highways, improved car inspection and civic education to Kenyans on road safety.