Busia Senator Okiyah Omtatah was on February 16, 2024, morning involved in a grisly road accident along the Kisumu-Busia highway.
According to Omtatah, the accident happened at the Ojola area in Kisumu County as he was travelling to Busia.
He revealed that the accident occurred when a trailer lost control and hit the vehicle, he was travelling in from behind causing it to veer off from the road.
Luckily, the senator did not sustain any injuries.
The Senator further revealed that National police officers from the Maseno Police Station intervened and drove him home in Busia County.
Omtatah files petition
The Busia Senator, a seasoned civil rights activist, was at the forefront in opposing the Finance Act 2023.
He filed a petition challenging the Finance Act 2023 before its implementation in July 2023.
In a ruling on June 30, 2023, High Court Judge Mugure Thande issued orders suspending the implementation of the Finance Act 2023.
However, the Court of Appeal lifted the suspension on July 28, 2023, paving way for its implementation.
As a result of the Court of Appeal’s decision, Omtatah proceeded to appeal the case at the Supreme Court.
Road Accidents in 2024
Omtatah’s accident is among a number of road crashes that have been recorded in the year 2024.
In a February 14, 2024, report, The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) announced that a total of 563 Kenyans have lost their lives in road accidents from January 1 to February 11, 2024.
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According to statistics released by the authority, 1,403 others have been seriously injured with 1,124 left slightly injured within the same period.
In road-user categories, NTSA said that 35 drivers and 216 pedestrians have lost their lives following the accidents.
On the other hand, 246 pedestrians have been left with serious injuries while 61 got minor injuries.
A total number of 103 drivers were seriously injured and 108 were slightly injured, according to the report.
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“One hundred and nine fatalities were recorded for passengers, 535 were seriously injured and 755 got slight injuries,” the report noted.
Among the fatalities recorded from the accidents is the current world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum.
Kiptum and his coach Gervais Hakizimana died in a grisly road accident along Eldoret-Kaptagat road on Sunday, February 11, 2024.
The late world marathon record holder’s family and traffic base commandant Dennis Muga confirmed the demise of the two.
