4 Killed After Miraa Vehicle Loses Brakes In Meru Accident

Four people were on Wednesday, January 11 killed and 20 others severely injured after a vehicle transporting miraa lost control and crashed at Athiru Gaiti in Igembe South, Meru County.

The vehicle, a Land Rover pickup, was said to have been carrying excess passengers on their way to collect miraa when the accident occurred.

One of the survivors revealed that the driver claimed that the pickup's brakes had failed before losing control and crashing.

A photo seen by Viral Tea showed the vehicle's front part completely destroyed, with the rest of it reduced to a mangled wreck.

Pickups transporting miraa along a major road. /DAILY NATION

Confirming the incident, Nyambene sub-county Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Githu Wachira said he received 32 patients at the medical facility. However, two of them were already dead while the other two succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment.

"Thirty-two people were brought to me having been involved in the accident. Two of them were already dead at arrival while the other two who were in critical condition died while being treated," Dr Wachira said.

He added that eight of the patients were referred to Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital for better medical care due to their severe injuries.

"There are eight patients who are in critical condition and are being taken to Meru, but the rest are being treated. All the 32 passengers were young men,” Wachira added.

Miraa drivers are known to ply major highways at breakneck speeds, motivated by the desire for money.

One vehicle carries miraa worth about Ksh2.5 million, while a lorry carries produce worth Ksh5 million. Optimally, up to 60 vehicles move the miraa on any given day, translating to about Ksh150 million daily in an industry worth up to Ksh40 billion every year.

Miraa is a highly perishable commodity and must reach consumers as fresh as possible. The stimulant, primarily produced in Meru, begins to lose its potency immediately after it is harvested and since it is transported as far as Somalia, time and speed are critical in this business.

On the same day, two people died following a road accident in Keroka, Kisii County, with area traffic police boss Fred Ogada stating that the incident happened after the driver of a lorry ferrying cooking oil lost control of the vehicle and rammed into a motorbike at Mabuko area along the Kisii-Keroka highway.