Tuju airlifted to Nairobi after road crash

Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju. 

Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju. 

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • The incident happened at around 6.45 am Wednesday morning and involved three vehicles: Mr Tuju's car, a matatu and a Toyota Allion saloon car.

Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju was Wednesday recuperating at Karen Hospital in Nairobi after a road accident.

Mr Tuju was heading to the burial of former President Daniel Moi in Nakuru County when his car was involved in a head-on collision with a matatu at Magina on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.

A doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity said Mr Tuju had broken ribs on his right side and complained of difficulty in breathing.

He added that Mr Tuju had a slight injury on his intestines which led to internal bleeding and an operation at AIC Kijabe Hospital where he was rushed after the accident.

“Multi-trauma patients have to be assessed thoroughly because accidents can cause internal bleeding and that is why he is likely to be in the hospital for a while,” he said.

Mr Tuju was airlifted to Karen Hospital for care under his personal doctor.

His bodyguard and driver were airlifted to Forces Memorial Hospital in Nairobi.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed, whose car was behind Mr Tuju’s, was among the first people at the scene. Ms Amina expressed confidence in Mr Tuju’s recovery.

The accident happened around 6.45am yesterday.

ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru cautioned Kenyans against causing fear on social media, over Mr Tuju’s condition, adding that any updates on his condition will be communicated through his ministry.

The matatu is said to have collided head-on with Mr Tuju’s Toyota Prado car.

Passengers in the matatu were injured and taken to hospital.

The three vehicles involved in the accident were towed to Lari Police Station.

“He’s stable but still under effects of sedation,” one of Mr Tuju’s aides said.

A police chopper arrived at AIC Kijabe Hospital and airlifted Mr Tuju’s driver and his bodyguard to Nairobi for further treatment as Tuju underwent an emergency operation to stop bleeding in his abdomen.

Kijabe hospital officials later announce that Mr Tuju was in stable condition and that he had been airlifted to Karen Hospital for further care.

Lari Police Station OCPD Ellen Wanjiku said 18 other people were injured, 15 of them passengers in the matatu that was travelling from Nakuru to Nairobi.

The front part of the Tuju’s vehicle was extensively damaged.

Dr Ken Muma, the AIC Kijabe Hospital CEO told reporters that all patients taken to the hospital after the accident were in stable condition and there was no cause for alarm.

Dr Muma said that Tuju was among the seriously injured.

“We’ve received 18 patients. Three have been airlifted to Nairobi and the remaining are in a stable condition," he said.

The accident occurred 17 years after Mr Tuju was involved in a plane crash in Busia County on January 24, 2003 immediately after the Mwai Kibaki-led Narc government came to power.

Then Labour Minister Mohammed Khalif together with two pilots died in the crash in which three other ministers and MPs were seriously injured.

They crashed shortly after take-off from Busia airstrip.

The officials had attended a homecoming party for former Vice-President Moody Awori at his Funyula home.

Ten other dignitaries, including ministers Tuju, Martha Karua and Linah Jebii Kilimo were also injured.

Dr Wanjiru Kihoro, the executive director of Abantu — a local NGO — died three years after the accident.

The 24-seater Gulfstream aircraft crashed into a house after hitting power lines.

Additional reporting by Justus Ochieng and Nasibo Kabale.

The car Mr Tuju was riding in was towed to Lari police station. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

The wreckage of the matatu at Lari Police station. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

The police chopper that was to airlift Tuju to Nairobi after the crash. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP