A truck carrying bricks rolled on Sunday evening, killing five on the spot at Muluma along the Kitui-Kibwezi road.
The truck was on its way to Mutomo from Kitui and had seven people on board.
Muluma chief Peter Nzelya said the lorry did not hit anything before rolling.
“The truck is suspected to have been speeding along the newly constructed highway before rolling and killing five of its occupants,” Nzelya said.
The chief said the five who passed away were seated at the back of the lorry.
“When I visited the scene, there was nothing hit by the lorry. It claimed five lives, and the other two were rushed to Kitui Level 5 hospital unconscious,” the chief said.
Nzelya urged drivers plying the Kitui-Kibwezi road, which is still under construction, to be careful.
“Avoid speeding on this road now that it is still under construction and speed bumps have not been erected yet,” he said.
Bodies of the five accident victims were moved to Kitui Level 5 hospital mortuary as police officers embarked on investigations to ascertain the actual cause of the accident.
The Kitui-Kibwezi road, which is almost complete, will ease mobility and boost transport in Kitui and Makueni counties.
The project that measures 192km will encourage tourism through the provision of reliable links to Mwingi National Game Reserve, Meru National Park and Kora Game Reserve.
The road will also strengthen the connection between Kenya’s three main regional transport corridors, namely, Northern corridor, Kenya-Ethiopia corridor and Thika- Garissa-Liboi highway.
Edited by Henry Makori
