Six people died and several others sustained injuries following a road accident that occurred at Kijauri Shopping Centre on the Kisii-Sotik Road on Friday evening.
The accident involved a lorry, a public service vehicle (PSV) van, and a Toyota Premio.
According to Borabu sub-County Traffic Police Commander Mr Wycliffe Kundu, the driver of the lorry, who was coming from the Keroka route, lost control and hit the two vehicles that had been parked by the roadside.
The traffic boss added that after hitting the two vehicles, the lorry flew over a ditch before landing on several kiosks owned by small-scale traders.
"The lorry was carrying logs of wood that were being transported to a nearby tea factory. The driver of the ill-fated vehicle lost control as he was descending a stretch in that area. He then hit two vehicles parked by the roadside and flew over a ditch, landing on several kiosks in the market," Mr Kundu told the Nation on the phone.
The traffic boss added that the scene of the accident is a black spot and urged motorists to exercise caution while driving on the highway.
"That area is a black spot. We urge all road users to be extra cautious when they approach it, especially during the rainy season," Mr Kundu said.
The accident comes just a month after three people lost their lives on the same highway. The three were killed in Keroka Town, a few kilometers from Kijauri.
That accident involved a 14-seater van that was headed to Keroka from Masimba Town, and a motorcycle.
Six people killed in a grisly road accident at Kijauri area, on the Kisii-Sotik road.
Photo credit: Wycliffe Nyaberi| Nation Media Group
The driver of the van lost control of the vehicle while descending Ichuni Lane. As he struggled to regain control, he hit a motorcyclist who was ahead of him, killing both the rider and his pillion passenger.
The vehicle then landed in a ditch and trapped a passerby, who also died on the spot.
In order to avert future accidents, Masaba North Sub-County Boda Boda Chairman Dominic Babu called for the relocation of traders selling their products on road reserves to safer locations.
"Traders on that road have constructed stalls close to the highway, and there is a need to regulate them if we are to avoid such accidents in the future," Mr Babu said.
He also asked the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to erect new road signage along the road to caution motorists and other road users.
