Wreckage of matatu belonging to Great Rift Shuttle that was involved in an accident at Teachers near Salgaa in November 2017. [Photo/standardmedia.co.ke]
Nakuru County Governor Lee Kinyanjui has blamed the frequency of accidents during this festive season on speeding and reckless driving.
Kinyanjui, who is former National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) chairman, asked drivers to protect their lives and those of their passengers.
"Motorists forget that they can speed and run away from NTSA and traffic officers but they cannot run away from death," he said, as quoted by Sunday Nation.
As a temporary measure to reduce traffic and accidents on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway, Kinyanjui suggested that motorists proceeding to Kisumu and Kericho use Nakuru-Njoro-Molo Road while those destined to Eldoret and Bungoma use Eldama Ravine-Maji Mazuri route.
As he spoke, area Senator Susan Kihika has called on the government to speed up the construction of a dual carriageway at the Salgaa stretch black spot.
Speaking to the Nation on Sunday, the Senator said Nakuru-Eldoret highway was poorly designed leading to many accidents.
"We have many highways across the country where drivers speed up but we rarely hear of grisly accidents such as the ones we are witnessing at the Salgaa stretch.
This is a clear indication that there is something wrong with the way the highway was designed," Kihika said.