The Secretary General of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), Mr. Collins Oyuu, experienced a harrowing event on Monday when he was involved in a vehicular accident as he was en route to Kisumu International Airport.
In a detailed interview with theafricanwatch.com, Mr. Oyuu shed light on the incident, disclosing that he came out of the ordeal with only minor injuries. Notably, at the moment of the mishap, he wasn’t traveling alone but was accompanied by his personal driver. Probing into the cause of the accident, the prominent unionist pinpointed a motorcycle, commonly referred to as a “boda boda” in Kenya, as the primary reason behind the calamity. According to Oyuu, the sudden appearance of the motorcycle put his driver in a challenging position, forcing him to swerve off the course to sidestep a potentially fatal collision with the rider.
Displaying compassion and concern, Mr. Oyuu highlighted that he took the time to visit the motorcycle rider at the hospital, confirming to the public that the latter was stable and recovering well. Thankfully, no lives were lost in this nerve-wracking event that took place in the morning hours.
Images that subsequently spread like wildfire on the internet painted a vivid picture of the severity of the accident. The vehicle, apparently caught off guard by the unforeseen encounter, had flipped over. The magnitude of the impact was evident from the extensive damages the car suffered. Upon witnessing the accident, the local residents of the area, driven by a sense of urgency and humanity, hurried to the spot to lend a helping hand to the victims. Shortly after, the police made their presence felt, ensuring the situation remained calm and taking stock of the damage.
Nyanza’s Regional Traffic Enforcement Officer (RTEO), Mr. Allan Mwangi, did not remain silent on the issue. He validated the occurrence of the incident and informed the public that a comprehensive investigation was underway to understand all facets of the accident.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the governing body for transportation safety in Kenya, has often voiced its concerns about the rising number of accidents, with motorcycles being a significant contributor. The authority has been resolute in its stand, underscoring the imperative need for boda boda operators to be in possession of valid licenses and to faithfully abide by the stipulations of the Traffic Act. Backing this claim with data, the NTSA, in its 2022 report, alarmingly ranked the boda boda transportation system as the most perilous, having accounted for a staggering 1,209 fatalities.
In a related, yet separate incident over the weekend, tragedy struck on the Southern Bypass. A truck, presumably failing to maintain control, violently crashed into a private car, resulting in the unfortunate demise of three individuals.