Driver of bus in Mau Summit crash charged in court

The driver of the ill-fated Classic Kings of Congo bus involved in a crash that killed 15 people in the Twin Bridge area on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway earlier this week was on Thursday arraigned in a Molo court on 15 counts of murder.

Clement Kiarie alias Taylor, 34, who appeared before Principal Magistrate Daisy Mose, was released on Sh1 million bond and two sureties of a similar amount after denying all the charges.

According to the charge sheet, Mr Kiarie was charged with 15 counts of causing death, one count of contravening the use of insurance, one count of reckless driving and another count of carrying 41 uninsured passengers.

Taken for treatment

 “The accused needs to be taken for treatment, I can see he is visibly injured,” the magistrate further ruled.

The prosecution asked the court for strict bond conditions as the suspect fled immediately after the gruesome accident.

The court also heard that the ill-fated bus had foreign registration numbers under a Ugandan company.

The matter will come up on January 29, 2024.

Mr Kiarie was arrested on Wednesday night and detained at Mau Summit Police Station before being arraigned in court.

Eight adults and seven children, including five girls and two boys, died in the accident at 3am on Tuesday.

Seven other passengers were seriously injured in the fatal crash, while 38 others were treated for minor injuries.

The injured were rushed to Molo Sub-County Hospital and the bodies of the deceased were taken to the mortuary at the same facility.

In the gruesome accident, a 14-seater Northways shuttle collided head-on with the bus, killing 15 people on the spot.

All occupants of the Northways shuttle were killed in the horrific accident.