Residents of Sachang'wan have asked the Kenya National Highways Authority to redesign a stretch on the Nairobi-Eldoret highway to reduce unnecessary accidents.
They asked Kenha together with the National Transport and Safety Authority to swiftly work on the 10-kilometre stretch before December.
Their call came just hours after five people died on Wednesday night at the Migaa black spot. Several others sustained serious injuries. 10 vehicles were involved in the crash. The scene of the accident is part of the stretch residents want redesigned.
"It is unfortunate that people continue to lose their lives when we know something can be done to avoid such deaths," Sachang'wan residents association chairman Ben Kamau said.
The accident happened when the driver of a truck transporting timber to Nakuru lost control of his vehicle and rammed those ahead of it. The truck's breaks failed.
Sachang'wan resident Mary Rotich blamed lack of road signs for most accidents occurring in the area. Drivers have also been blamed for carelessness on the road.
NTSA officers have put the stretch under their surveillance. Residents want a 24-hour patrol by NTSA in the area.
They said accidents have dropped since NTSA began their surveillance two years ago.
Kamau said expansion and a redesign of the stretch would help reduce accidents.
Last month, the Nakuru county government partnered with NTSA in a road safety initiative to help reduce accident on the busy highway.
The county hired staff to support NTSA officers tracking speed of vehicles on the road.
Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui said the officers will ensure all motorists using the road observe safety rules. They have also put in place emergency response measures.
NTSA director general Francis Meja appealed to drivers to observe safety regulations.
“Road safety is a collective responsibility," Meja said.
They commended the media for informing the public about dangerous stretches.
"Continue helping us to educate the public on road safety so that we can reduce road carnage,” Kinyanjui said. He is a former NTSA chairman.
also the former NTSA boss.
The authority is determined to ensure that road accidents drop by over 50 percent through road safety education.