Editor's Review

Responders from the Kenya Red Cross undertook the rescue mission alongside other agencies.

At least 15 people sustained injuries of varied degrees after their matatu collided with a trailer in Mombasa. The accident occurred late Saturday night, August 23.

According to the Kenya Red Cross, the accident happened at a spot in Kibarani near Ug Holdings.

"A road traffic accident involving a PSV matatu and a cargo container has occurred at Kibarani, just after Ug Holdings, Mombasa County," the humanitarian agency reported.

The agency deployed its response on the scene to carry out rescue operations alongside other teams from the county disaster management.

At the scene, the trailer appeared overturned on the road as the matatu wreckage stood by the side.

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Luckily, no fatalities were reported at the scene.

The Kenya Red Cross said it had accounted for all the passengers who it said suffered injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals.

"We are on the ground responding alongside a multi-agency response team. Fifteen people sustained injuries and were taken to health facilities by well-wishers. Thankfully, no lives were lost. The scene has been cleared," Kenya Red Cross said in another update.
Kenya Red Cross team at the accident scene.

The accident occurred just hours after the Ministry of Roads and Transport set out safety measures to be observed by all road users.

While receving a report on the probe in the recent string of tragic road accidents, Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir noted that most accidents were caused by a number of factors, main one being the behaviors of drivers, bad roads and unroadworth vehicles.

The ministry sanctioned a host of road safety measures to keep everyone safe.

As schools reopen, the CS warned motorists to be careful on the roads.

Chirchir warned drivers against honking on roads, urging them to drive slowly as they ferry students to their destinations, as they return for the third term in this year's academic calendar.

Road agencies and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) have been instructed to enforce the road safety measures.

Recently, the NTSA rolled out a nationwide school transport safety program dubbed "Operation Watoto Wafike Salama" to enhance the safety standards of vehicles used to ferry learners across the country.

School transport providers are required to meet strict operational criteria; vehicles must be in sound mechanical condition, possess up-to-date inspection certificates, hold valid Road Service Licenses, and carry sufficient insurance covers.

The vehicles' brakes, tires, lights, and side mirrors must be fully functional before operating.

Additionally, the learners must be properly fitted with seatbelts, and vehicles are forbidden from carrying more passengers than they are licensed for.