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Two police officers killed in Bungoma road accident
The police car which was involved in a fatal crash.
Two police officers died on the spot on Tuesday afternoon in a road accident along the Eldoret-Malaba highway near Matulo in Bungoma County.
The head-on collision involved a police Land Cruiser and a long-distance truck.
The officers, attached to the Bungoma Railways Police Station, were en route to Bungoma when their vehicle collided with a speeding truck heading to Webuye from the Malaba border.
Bungoma South sub-County Police Commander Rodgers Bosire said that the truck driver sustained serious injuries and was taken to Bungoma County Referral Hospital.
The officers’ bodies were transferred to the Webuye County Hospital mortuary.
Witnesses recounted that both vehicles were speeding when the collision occurred.
"The police vehicle was attempting to overtake another car when it slammed head-on into the oncoming trailer," said Julius Wekesa, a resident who witnessed the crash.
Outraged residents criticized the government for neglecting the stretch of road, which has seen a surge in fatal accidents.
"This highway has become a death trap. Not a week goes by without a deadly crash. We’ve begged for speed bumps, but nothing has been done," added Wekesa.
Another resident, Justus Nyongesa, expressed frustration over what he described as the government’s inaction.
"Today’s accident is the second this month. Just days ago, a private car collided with a matatu nearby. How many lives must we lose before something is done?" He posed.
The county police boss lamented the loss of the two officers who were on active duty at the time of their death.
"It’s a terrible loss for our station and community," he said.
He urged all road users to exercise caution, especially along the perilous highway. Investigations into the accident are ongoing.
