One person has died after an exhauster truck lost control and rammed into bodaboda riders along the Eldoret-Malaba Highway. The accident occurred on Friday morning near the IVC Church, leaving several other bodaboda riders injured.
Turbo Sub-County Police Commander Patrick Wekesa confirmed the fatality, stating that the victim’s body had been moved to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary as investigations continue.
Police are investigating the cause of the truck’s loss of control and the circumstances that led to the crash.
“A motorcycle had hit a car from behind, and while we were helping, a speeding exhauster hit one of the persons who was helping the other rider. He is the one who died. Others sustained injuries, including two women and another rider who had a broken leg,” an eyewitness recounted.
Eldoret boda boda burns exhauster truck after accident
The incident, however, sparked chaos among boda boda riders who gathered at the scene. The riders reportedly confronted the truck driver after suspecting that he was attempting to flee.
Witnesses said some of the riders chased the driver before setting the exhauster truck on fire. The riders later blocked part of the highway, disrupting traffic flow along the busy road. Police officers were deployed to the area to restore order and prevent further confrontations.
Commander Wekesa warned boda boda riders against taking the law into their own hands, urging members of the public to report grievances to the police and allow the legal process to take its course.
“I would like to advise boda boda operators that when such an incident occurs, they should restrain themselves from anger and destroying property. They should be sober so as not to cause damage or inconvenience other road users,” the police boss told journalists.
Fuel tanker accident in Eldoret
In a separate incident, police responded to an accident involving a fuel tanker at the Maili Nne area along the Eldoret-Uganda Highway. No injuries or fatalities had been reported from that incident at the time of filing this report.
Police secured the area to prevent members of the public from approaching the tanker and to avert any risk of fuel leakage or unauthorised siphoning of fuel.
Motorists have been advised to exercise caution when using that section of the highway and to follow police instructions. Investigations into both accidents are ongoing.
