Two people tragically lost their lives in a road accident involving a miraa pick-up vehicle at Difathas, along the Mwea-Embu Highway in Kirinyaga County.
The victims, a boda boda rider and his passenger, were struck by the speeding vehicle around 10 p.m. on Tuesday night.
Mwea-East Sub-County Police Commander Mohammed Jarso confirmed the incident, stating that the miraa vehicle, which was headed towards Nairobi, collided with the boda boda.
“The accident occurred around 10 p.m., and it is a deeply unfortunate event for both the families involved and the residents of Difathas,” he said.
The driver of the miraa vehicle fled the scene, leaving the two bodies on the road, which sparked outrage among local residents.
People from Difathas and nearby areas, including parts of Mwea and Gichugu constituencies, blocked the busy highway in protest.
They accused miraa drivers of reckless driving and blatant disregard for traffic regulations.
“This is not the first time this has happened. Recently, two children from Kithogondo Slums in Ngurubani were killed by a speeding miraa vehicle.
Today, it’s two people from Kiarigi Village. We demand accountability from the owners of these vehicles,” said Dan Murango, a resident.
Family members of the victims, led by David Gicobi, expressed their deep sorrow.
“My son, Phillip Njagi, was only 18 and had just completed his KCSE exams.
His cousin, Anthony Kariuki, 28, was also with him.
They were returning home after visiting their aunt when they were killed. We want justice,” Mr. Gicobi said.
The police later apprehended the miraa vehicle driver in Ngurubani Town as he attempted to flee towards Nairobi.
He is currently in custody at Wang’uru Police Station and is set to appear in court.
This tragic accident has reignited public outrage over the lack of action to curb reckless driving by miraa vehicle operators.
“These drivers don’t respect traffic laws or law enforcement officers. We need serious action to address this,” said Peter Kinyua, a local resident.
This incident follows a similar one just three weeks ago in Ngurubani, where two children aged 12 and 7 were killed by a speeding miraa vehicle.
The vehicle hit the children while overtaking another vehicle on a section of the road with spikes put up by the county government for cess collection.
The children, who attended Ngurubani and Thiba primary schools, were buried on December 4, leaving the community in mourning.
Residents are now calling for the government to enforce stricter regulations on miraa transport to prevent further tragedies.
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