Three police officers lost their lives Tuesday morning following a grisly head-on collision between a police Land Cruiser and a fuel tanker at Matisi area along the Webuye-Bungoma highway.
According to police sources, the officers were attached to Bungoma Central Police Station and were reportedly heading towards the Webuye direction on official duty when the crash occurred around 8:00 a.m.
Eyewitnesses say the accident happened as the fuel tanker, heading towards Bungoma town, veered out of its lane and crashed into the Land Cruiser. Although the tanker remained intact and did not catch fire, the police vehicle was completely wrecked, with debris scattered across the road.
“It was a very bad crash. The police vehicle was mangled beyond recognition. It looked like it had been torn into pieces. People rushed to help, but there was little anyone could do,” said Peter Simiyu, a boda boda rider who operates near the scene.
Emergency responders from Bungoma County rushed to the site and confirmed that the three officers had died on the spot due to the impact. The driver of the fuel tanker, who survived the crash with minor injuries, was taken to Bungoma County Referral Hospital for treatment.
Photos and videos from the scene show the Land Cruiser’s front section crumpled, its roof caved in, and personal effects of the officers strewn along the roadside. A crowd quickly gathered as police cordoned off the area and diverted traffic.
The cause of the accident is under investigation, but initial findings suggest that poor visibility due to morning fog and possible speeding could have played a role. Authorities from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and traffic police officers from Bungoma have launched a joint probe into the crash.
The incident has once again raised alarm over the growing number of fatal accidents along the Webuye-Bungoma highway, a vital but increasingly dangerous corridor in western Kenya. Residents are urging the government to fast-track the installation of speed control measures and better signage.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the bodies of the officers had been moved to the Bungoma County morgue pending official identification and postmortem examinations. Senior police officials are expected to address the media with more information, including the identities of the fallen officers, once their families are notified.
