Three people were on Tuesday afternoon killed in a grisly road accident involving a matatu and a saloon car at Chepkosa area along the Kaplong-Narok highway.
Another nine people were seriously injured.
The 3pm accident occurred after one of the matatu's tyres burst after hitting a pothole.
The matatu then crashed into the saloon car coming from the opposite direction and rolled several times before landing in a ditch.
Bomet subcounty police commander Musa Omari confirmed the incident, saying those injured were rushed to Tenwek Mission Hospital.
It was not immediately clear how many occupants were in the private car, but according to Omari, the driver is among those injured.
The matatu driver fled after the accident and is being sought by the police.
“We are still yet to find the driver of the matatu who went missing after the accident…we want him to come and record a statement,” Omari told the press.
The bodies were taken to Longisa Referral Hospital morgue while the wreckages of the two vehicles were towed to Bomet police station.
Preliminary investigations show that the Egesa shuttle was carrying excess passengers, contrary to the regulations by the government on curbing Covid-19.
As per the containment measures on public service vehicles, all 14 seater matatus ought to carry nine people.
In this case, the matatu was carrying two extra passengers.
The accident at the scene comes barely a week after another accident at the same spot where several people were injured.
Witnesses who spoke to the press accused Kenha of failing to refill potholes along the route which they said is dangerous and has been a scene of several accidents.
“We have always asked them to help us repair these potholes but they have turned a deaf ear…the potholes are deep such that when you hit them, it causes a tyre to burst,” Weston Kilel said.
The police boss urged motorists to be careful and avoid speeding.
