Ena bus with 48 passengers bursts into flames in Narok

At least 48 people escaped death by a whisker after the bus they were travelling in caught fire following a tyre burst at Nairagie-Enkare area on the Narok-Maai Mahiu road on Wednesday morning.

According to Narok East Sub-County Police Commander Jared Marando, the bus belonging to Ena Coach, which was travelling from Nairobi to Migori, suffered a front left tyre burst at Nairegie Enkare junction.

"The bus was climbing the steep slope of the busy road and when the driver tried to veer slightly off the road to a safer place, it caught fire," said Mr Marando.

The bus was burnt and reduced to ashes.

However, all passengers managed to get out of the vehicle and there were no casualties in the 2am incident.

The police boss revealed that all passengers escaped unhurt but lost most of their belongings in the fire.

"Efforts to seek the services of the Narok County Fire Service proved futile," said Mr Marando.

The sub-county police boss added that police visited the scene and the wreckage of the bus was towed to Nairagie-Enkare police station.

In a statement, the managing director of ENA Coach, Mr Richard Mogire, assured that all passengers on the bus arrived safely at their destination.

He said an emergency bus was brought in and all 48 passengers were taken to Migori.

"At about 2am this morning, while travelling from Nairobi to Migori with 48 passengers on board, our bus suffered a burst front tyre while climbing the hill after Suswa," said Mogire.

Mogire said the driver stopped to assess the situation only to discover that the bus was already on fire.

"Upon discovering the fire, our alert crew acted quickly and ensured the safe evacuation of all passengers from the burning bus. We are relieved to inform you that no casualties or injuries were reported in this incident," he added.

According to Mogire, there were no casualties or injuries reported during the incident.

"To minimise the inconvenience to our passengers, we immediately dispatched a rescue bus to the scene. Passengers were transferred to the rescue bus and their journey to Migori resumed without further delay."

Mogire reiterated the company's commitment to a thorough investigation to determine the root cause of the fire and prevent a recurrence.

"We are working with the relevant authorities to determine the cause and take appropriate action to ensure the highest standards of safety for our passengers," he said.

This is not the first such incident on the route.

On 11 April 2023, eleven passengers narrowly escaped death after a 14-seater matatu they were travelling in caught fire in Ntulele area along the busy Narok-Maai Mahiu road.

According to Narok East sub-county police commander Jared Marando, the accident involved a matatu belonging to Transline Classic Sacco.

The police boss said the driver was forced to stop abruptly to allow passengers to escape the fire.

He revealed that police officers from Ntulele Police Station who rushed to the scene along with members of the public helped put out the fire. No one was injured in the accident.

The mere mention of the Maai Mahiu-Narok town road sends shivers down the spines of many motorists and travellers who frequently use the busy road.

The 90-kilometre stretch between Maai Mahiu and Narok has become a death trap, with many people losing their lives in gruesome road accidents along the busy highway.

The road has recorded the highest number of fatal accidents in recent months.Design flaws, vandalism of road signs, fatigue and reckless driving, including speeding, all contribute to making the road, which links the capital Nairobi to the South Rift Valley and parts of Nyanza and Western Kenya, a certified death trap.

The road links Nairobi city with the world famous Maasai Mara.

The busy road has literally turned into a tarmac graveyard.

Despite the few road signs warning of the dangers of speeding on this busy stretch of road, most drivers seem unconcerned.

The most dangerous sections include; Mai Mahiu, Suswa, Nairegie-Enkare, Duka Moja and Ntulele.

Other black spots include the sharp bend in the Pinyiny hills and the Mafuta Taa area.

Shockingly, most of the fatal accidents occur at night and mostly at weekends.