Two police officers killed in Bungoma head-on road crash with trailer truck

Two police officers attached to the Railways Police Station in Bungoma County have died after their vehicle collided head-on with a trailer along the Webuye-Bungoma highway on Tuesday evening.

 The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon in the Matulo area, a notorious black spot on the busy highway.

 Confirming the accident, Bungoma South Sub-County Police Commander Rogers Bosire said the officers were travelling from Webuye towards Bungoma when they attempted to overtake another vehicle.

 In the process, their police van rammed head-on into an oncoming trailer, killing both officers on the spot.

 “The officers were in a Railways police vehicle heading back to Bungoma when they tried to overtake at a spot with limited visibility. Unfortunately, they collided head-on with a trailer. The impact was fatal,” Bosire told reporters at the scene.

 The driver of the trailer and his conductor escaped with minor injuries and are currently in Bungoma County Referral Hospital.

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 “We are saddened by the loss of our officers. We urge all drivers, including our own, to observe caution especially on this stretch of the road which has claimed many lives,” said Bosire.

 Western Regional Police Commander Isaa Mohamud urged all road users to obey traffic rules, stating investigations have been launched into the tragic incident.

 "We have lost two police officers who were on patrol when their vehicle collided head-on with an oncoming trailer, but we have already launched investigations, and what I want to urge our road users is to adhere to traffic rules and be mindful of others," said Mohamud.

 He said the bodies of the two officers were moved to Bungoma County Referral Hospital mortuary as police launched an investigation into the crash.

 Eyewitnesses at the scene recounted the horror of the crash, saying the police vehicle was being driven at high speed.

 “The police car was speeding. It was clear they were trying to overtake but didn’t notice the oncoming trailer,” said one witness, who is the assistant to the trailer driver.

The crash caused a temporary traffic snarl-up as police and members of the public worked to remove the wreckage from the road.

 Following the incident, residents of Matulo and its environs have renewed calls for the installation of speed bumps along the stretch, which they say has become a death trap.

 “This road has taken so many lives. We have been asking for humps and signage for years. It’s time the government acts before more people die,” said resident Joseph Wafula.