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DCI officer dies in road crash at Nyayo Stadium roundabout

In this file picture a beggar crawls in-between traffic along Uhuru Highway on March 23, 2021. FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

A tragic road accident claimed the life of a police officer along Uhuru Highway at the Lusaka roundabout on Saturday morning.

Police Constable Shadrack Otieno Genga, who is based at Gigiri Police Station, was driving a Subaru Legacy towards Mlolongo when he met his untimely death.

“On reaching the location of the accident, he lost control (of the vehicle) and veered off the road into the roundabout and overturned. Due to the impact, the driver was thrown out of the vehicle into the tarmac and sustained serious head injuries that resulted in his death on the spot,” police said in a statement.

The scene was visited by police officers who moved the body of the deceased to Chiromo Mortuary for postmortem examination.

Also read: Government issues 13 measures to curb road carnage as toll soars

Another police officer lost his life on Saturday morning along the Marsabit-Moyale Highway, after the vehicle he was in veered off the highway and rolled several times in Kambi Nyoka area.

According to the police, the seven passengers sustained serious injuries in the accident.

Among the injured were three police officers, all of whom received first-aid treatment before being transported to the hospital for further medical attention.

Also read: Over 1000 dead in road accidents since January

According to data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), at least 1,213 people have died on Kenyan roads in the last three months.

Pedestrians account for the largest number of fatalities at 445, followed by motorcyclists at 285 and passengers at 259.

According to the data captured between January 1 and April 3, pillion (motorcycle) passengers came fourth at 103 followed by drivers (99) and pedal cyclists (24).

The deaths are an increase of 5.8 per cent from 1,146 during the same period last year.

Last year, more than 4,300 people were killed on Kenyan road accidents while the rest, from the 22,885 that were involved in accidents, were left with serious injuries.