Eight killed after truck rams tuk-tuk in Kirinyaga

Eight people have been killed in a grisly road accident at Murubara along the Mwea–Embu Highway in Kirinyaga County after a parcel truck collided with a tuk-tuk ferrying farm workers to the Mwea Irrigation Research area.

The accident occurred at around 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, according to Mwea East Sub-County Police Commander Stephen Okal.

Emergency responders and locals rushed to the scene where the mangled wreckage of the tuk-tuk lay by the roadside.

Police said the parcel truck was travelling from Mwea towards Embu when it collided head-on with the tuk-tuk, which was heading towards Ngurubani carrying farm workers from Kimbimbi who were on their way to plant rice at the Mwea Irrigation Research area.

The eight people died on the spot, among them seven women and one man.

Residents struggled to retrieve the bodies trapped inside the crushed tuk-tuk and were forced to use a hacksaw to cut through the twisted metal before the victims could be removed.

Residents blamed the poor state of the Murubara section of the Mwea–Embu Highway, saying it has become a notorious accident blackspot and called on the government to urgently repair the road.

One person who sustained serious injuries was rushed to Kerugoya County Referral Hospital for treatment.

The bodies of the deceased were moved to the Kerugoya Mortuary pending identification and post-mortem examinations.

The driver of the parcel truck, who sustained minor injuries, was arrested and is being held at Wang'uru Police Station as police investigate the cause of the crash.

Police have urged motorists to exercise caution and observe traffic regulations to help reduce road accidents.