Janga la Ngata: Curse of Salgaa-Sachangwan stretch now drives down to Ngata
A trailer blocks the road along the Salgaa-Sobea crash after it was involved in a road crash on May 4, 2024.
For decades, Nakuru county reeled under the curse of a notorious blackspot stretch along the Nakuru -Eldoret highway.
Reports of tens of people losing their lives in a single fatal accident along the Salgaa blackspot that stretched 22 kilometres to Kamara in Mau summit, dominated the headlines on a regular basis.
But the height of the menace came in 2009 when a petrol tanker overturned and burst into flames killing at least 130 people, leaving more than 200 others with lifelong scars after they rushed to siphon the highly flammable but valuable commodity.
A mausoleum erected at Sachangwan where 78 people who turned to ashes were buried in a mass grave serves as a stark reminder of the most horrific incident in the history of Kenya, that resulted from a road carnage.
However, the events of 2017 which was also one of the darkest years in the history of accidents along the stretch are what prompted the government to think of a solution to end the highway slaughters.
After enduring a relatively low number of accidents for the better part of the year, the month of December came with unpleasant surprises as more than 70 people lost their lives in that month alone.
It began on December 9 when seven Kalenjin musicians died on the spot after their Toyota Probox vehicle collided head-on with a truck at Kamara as they headed to an event at night.
Three days later, another accident occurred at Sachangwan blackspot a few kilometres from Kamara where more than 20 people lost their lives. The accident involved multiple vehicles including trucks, private vehicles and matatu shuttles.
And before the country could end mourning the loss of its citizens, another fatal accident occurred at Migaa near Salgaa where 39 people lost their lives when a Busia bound bus belonging to Matunda sacco collided head on with a truck.
A public outcry saw the government announce plans to expand the road to four lanes, erect barriers splitting the two lanes as well as the speed bumps to regulate the vehicle’s movements.
The measures proved to be a magical solution to the menace after it significantly reduced the number of deadly accidents.
However, while the measures marked a new dawn for the areas around Salgaa black spot, another era was dawning for the residents of Ngata and Sobea after a stretch between Ngata Bridge and Ngata gate started taking over the reigns as the new highway slaughter point.
To the shock of the residents of Ngata and Nakuru at large, the four-kilometer stretch began experiencing back-to-back accidents that caught the attention of the entire country.
One of the accidents bore one of Kenya's famed celebrity content creators Brian Chira who is now deceased, who gained fame from witnessing an accident scene in Nakuru.
Mr Chira was an eyewitness to an accident that had claimed the lives of 11 people at Ngata bridge along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway.
Other celebrities who have experienced the intensity of the blackspot is comedian content creator Mulamwah, who escaped death on new year’s eve after his vehicle rolled at the spot.
The comedian survived the accident with minor scratches after the car he was in hit the brakes at high speed, while trying to avoid knocking a car in front that had stopped suddenly. It rolled several times.
Following the public outcry on the surge in accidents along the stretch, the government last year embarked on a project to make the stretch safer, by marking and erecting cat-eye reflectors to enhance visibility, erecting road signs including information and warning signs and repair and installation of guardrails and standard speed bumps and rubble strips to slow down motorists.
A section of the Nakuru-Eldoret highway where the side of the road has been cleared to allow expansion taken on November 7, 2023.
However, even as the construction works continue, the stretch is still experiencing more accidents that are proving even more fatal.
The recent accident occurred on April 9 where seven people died following a collision between the matatu they were travelling in and a truck.
Nakuru county Police commander Samuel Ndanyi confirmed that the 14- seater matatu was heading towards Eldoret before it collided with the truck that was heading the opposite direction.
Residents of Ngata are now calling upon the contractor to speed up the construction, which they say is now contributing to the accidents as it has made the narrow road even narrower.