What remains at Ngata road crash scene
A section of the Nakuru-Eldoret highway where the side of the road has been cleared to allow expansion taken on November 7, 2023.
Eleven people traveling on Monday morning had no doubt that today they would be up and about going on with their business as usual.
But this was not the case as they tragically lost their lives in a road crash at Ngata.
At the scene of the crash, pieces of glass, single shoes, packets of juice, pieces of clothing and other items that I could not make out are strewn on the ground.
The reeking smell of engine oil and burnt plastic dominates the air.
A black spot sign stands 15 metres from the road crash scene where 11 people lost their lives on November 6, 2023.
Ironically, barely 15 meters from the aftermath of the wreckage, the famous black spot signage stands tall warning all to tread lightly as they are sailing through treacherous waters or in this case treacherous roads.
The Ngata Road for the better part of the year has been on the news mainly for traffic incidents, with the stretch between Verovian primary school and Ngata Bridge being the most notorious.
The road itself is well tarmacked without potholes. It is punctuated by road bumps that are seemingly of a reasonable size.
However, despite this, the road is considered small considering it serves the larger western part of Kenya and neighbouring countries like Uganda and Rwanda.
Construction works ongoing along Nakuru-Eldoret highway on November 7, 2023.
In a bid to curb the accidents along this road the Cabinet Secretary for Roads, Transport, and Public Works Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen through the Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) initiated the construction of a medium barrier earlier this year.
In the works, a service road at both ends and an extension of the current traffic lanes to four lanes will also be included.
A spot check by Mtaa Wangu on November 7 indicated that indeed the construction had started, as ploughing on the sides of the road to facilitate expansion has already been done.