14 in Lamu escape unhurt as matatu rolls after tyre burst

All the passengers and the driver of a 14-seater matatu whose tyre burst on Friday as they headed from Mombasa to Lamu escaped unhurt.

The accident occurred at about 7.40am at Maisha Masha on Lamu-Mombasa road, Lamu County Police Commander Muchangi Kioi said.

Mr Kioi said the vehicle, whose driver had been speeding, veered off the road and rolled after the burst.

“The tyre burst caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle," he said.

“Construction is ongoing on Lamu-Garsen road so I urge [the public] drivers to be careful and avoid speeding. Some places have potholes while others are slippery, especially since it has been raining."

ROAD WORK

Meanwhile, drivers and vehicle owners plying the Lamu-Garsen road have asked the government to speed up its construction, which began in 2017.

The Sh10.8 billion tender for the 135-kilometre road was awarded to H-Young Construction Company.

Drivers complained that their vehicles often breakdown due to the bad state of the road so they end up spending their profits maintaining them.

“It’s been years since the construction kicked off yet [very little has been done]. We want the government to push the construction company to speed up the work,” said one Mr Hassan Swaleh.

The motorists also asked the government to direct the contractor to concentrate on parts of the road that are in the worst state.

One Mr Peter Kariuki said, “Travel is difficult every time it rains, particularly in places such as Milihoi, Koreni, Mkunumbi, Maisha Masha and Pangani, which are prone to flooding and slipperiness.

"We want the contractor to concentrate on problematic sections before dealing with the others."