Felix Onyango, a student who survived the tragic accident that claimed the lives of 11 Kenyatta University (KU) students on Monday, has shared his account of the events leading up to the crash.
Speaking to the press on Tuesday, March 19, Onyango described how the journey was proceeding smoothly until they reached Voi, where rainfall began. It was at this point that the bus driver attempted a risky overtaking maneuver along the bustling Nairobi-Mombasa Highway.
“Onyango recounted that the driver’s attempt to overtake was reckless,” he stated.
According to Onyango, the driver veered into the oncoming lane without proper visibility, unaware of a trailer approaching at high speed from the opposite direction. In an effort to avoid a head-on collision, the bus driver hastily maneuvered back into his lane, but the trailer driver also swerved, leading to a catastrophic collision with the bus’s rear end.
The impact of the collision resulted in the tragic loss of 11 students’ lives, with many others sustaining severe injuries. Some of the injured students were urgently airlifted to hospitals in Nairobi for specialized medical treatment.
Onyango, who sustained minor injuries, emphasized that the bus was in good condition before the journey commenced. Another survivor, who suffered hand injuries, noted that those seated at the back of the bus bore the brunt of the collision’s force.
“Some passengers, not wearing seat belts, were ejected from the bus, sustaining injuries to their necks, legs, and hands,” the survivor recounted.
High-speed ejections led to several students losing consciousness, only regaining awareness upon receiving medical treatment at hospitals.
In response to the tragedy, the Ministry of Transport, led by Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, announced new measures to prevent such incidents and reduce road accidents. These measures involve reinstating joint operations between the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and traffic police, which had been halted since 2018 under the directive of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki also declared a nationwide crackdown on traffic offenders and corrupt police officers turning a blind eye to traffic violations. These initiatives aim to enhance road safety and prevent future tragedies like the one experienced by the KU students.
