It had been a long night and it was after 7am.
Witnesses and staff at the Weston Hotel begged him not to drive, to sleep it off or find a designated driver to get him home.
But he knew he was really drunk, he didn’t need anybody’s help and could drive himself home in his Mercedes-Benz.
He was wrong. The man, not formally identified, died yesterday morning in a burning road crash along Lang’ata Road at a Wilson Airport fence.
Lang’ata Deputy OCPD John Samburumo said the driver, who was not formally identified, was driving at a very high speed.
Samburumo said he was coming from the Weston Hotel at about 7.20am and appeared drunk.
“Witnesses at the hotel said they tried to stop him from driving but he ignored them and took off at very high speed,” the OCPD said.
He moved past around the area, Mbagathi roundabout towards Lang’ata General shortly before he crashed. When the car hit Wilson Airport fence, it rolled several times. The officer said another car that parked inside the airport also was hit.
“The driver lost control of the car and hit trees before landing on a Wilson Airport perimeter fence,” he said.
The officer said that the car caught fire at the front. The driver was trapped. The body was moved to Nairobi City mortuary. Police are yet to confirm his identity.
National Transport and Safety Authority details indicate that the vehicle KCX734B, 350 model is currently registered in the name David Kipruto Ronoh, who is still alive. The previous owner of the car is listed as Kevine Kipkirui.
NTSA’s latest survey indicates that 3,409 people had lost their lives on the roads by December 19 last year compared to 3,004 who died by the same date in 2018 — representing a 13 per cent increase.
The statistics show that 325 drivers have died, compared to 297 in 2018. Pedestrians account for the highest number of casualties. Some 1,323 said to have been killed compared to last year when 1,147 pedestrians died in road accidents. The survey also noted that those who sustained serious injuries due to road accidents increased last year by 48 per cent from 4,487 people in 2018 to 6,651.
