Kaburengu: Eldoret-Webuye stretch of death continues to baffle engineers

The killer Chimoi-Kaburengu stretch of the busy Eldoret-Webuye highway in western Kenya continues to cause pain and death to users despite the construction of an interchange at the busy junction.

The interchange was supposed to ease traffic and minimise accidents at the black spot, which has claimed many lives in the past.

But Kaburengu, a bustling roadside market popular for traditional vegetables, fruits and tomatoes, has become a death trap for traders, matatu passengers and motorists.

The horror and anguish of gruesome road accidents at Kaburengu have returned to haunt residents who had hoped that the construction of the interchange would make the road safer.

On Sunday, four people died in two separate accidents at Kaburengu involving two trucks transporting goods to Uganda.

In the first accident, a motorcyclist died after he was run over by a lorry that crashed into a station wagon at Kaburengu, near the popular Mama Sara eatery.

A few minutes later, as people rushed to help the injured, another lorry from Chimoi Trading Centre sped down the steep descent, racing past the junction, missing several vehicles and traders before veering off the road and crashing into a house, killing three people.

The mud house was reduced flattened after a container on the truck came loose and landed on it.

On Tuesday, a crane was brought to the scene to try to remove the container and the back of the truck from the collapsed structure.

Matete Sub-County Police Commander Bamfort Tsurwa, said Kaburengu had become a black spot where lives were lost in road accidents and something urgently needed to be done to stop the carnage.

"It is very unfortunate that innocent lives were lost in one of the accidents after the truck veered off the road and crashed into a house. Our engineers need to address this matter urgently," said Mr Tsurwa.

The two accidents occurred within minutes of each other and are indicative of the dangers traders at Kaburengu market face as they go about their daily business.

The frequent road accidents have left engineers scratching their heads over how to make the spot safe for road users.

Kakamega County Chief Officer for Roads Philip Otenyo, aptly captured the despair and anguish of families affected by accidents on the route.

"I am a road engineer, but the frequent road accidents that claim the lives of our people are terrible. I'm the son of a catechist and maybe it's time we prayed for the demons around this road to be exorcised. We are losing so many lives and something needs to be done urgently," said Mr Otenyo.

According to Mr Otenyo, who was speaking at a meeting attended by Kenya Highway Authority (Kenha) officials from the Western Region Directorate led by Mr David Kemei, the design of the road has everything to do with the frequent accidents.

He said the road was narrow and should be widened to accommodate the huge flow of traffic.

According to Mr Otenyo, vehicles approaching the Kaburengu junction from Chimoi end up veering off the road and crashing into other vehicles, killing people, because of the poor design of the road, including what he described as the traffic curvature, which refers to the twists and turns of the road.

"This road needs to be redesigned and upgraded to minimise the frequent accidents at Kaburengu and sections of the busy highway," said Mr Otenyo.

The black spots along the Eldoret-Webuye-Bungoma highway are Chekalini, Mukhonje, Chimoi and the Nzoia River bridge.

Engineers from Kenha and their counterparts from the county government said a long-term solution would be the construction of a dual carriageway, but lack of funds was still a major challenge.

Mr Ayub Savula, the deputy governor of Kakamega, said the county government had negotiated with Kenha officials to move traders from the road, where they are exposed to the dangers of speeding vehicles.

"For now, this is the short-term solution we have for the people of Kaburengu. Even the matatus will no longer be allowed to stop along the road to drop off or pick up passengers. We will deploy our enforcement officers who will work closely with traffic officers to ensure that traders do not operate along the highway," said Mr Savula.

Other proposed measures include the establishment of a police post at Kaburengu junction.

The district government has promised to provide assistance to the families of those killed in the two accidents, including meeting the funeral expenses.

Mr Savula said the county government's plans to build a mini-market at Kaburengu Junction had been delayed by a land dispute. He said a resident had gone to court claiming ownership of the land earmarked for the market.

"But we have now established that the land belongs to the county government and the plans to build the market are on," said Mr Savula.

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