Bus Driver In Nakuru-Eldoret Accident That Killed 15 Released After Arrest
He was charged with 18 counts including reckless driving, carrying uninsured passengers, and contravening the use of insurance.
Marvin Chege 
The driver of a bus belonging to the Classics Kings of Congo which was involved in a grisly road accident along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway which claimed the lives of 15 people early on Tuesday, January 9 was on Thursday, January 11 charged at the Molo Law Court, hours after he was arrested.
Clement Kiarie, who is also known by his name Taylor, appeared before Molo Principal Magistrate Daisy Mose, after he was detained at the Mau Summit Police Station pending his processing and arraignment.
He was charged with 18 counts including reckless driving, carrying uninsured passengers, and contravening the use of insurance.
Bus belonging to Classics Kings of Congo after 15 people perished in a fatal road accident at Twin Bridge along Nakuru-Eldoret Highway on Tuesday morning, January 9, 2024. /NPS
The 34-year-old however denied the charges and was released on a Ksh1 million bond. The case is set for mention on January 29, 2023.
“The accused needs to be taken for treatment, I can see he is visibly injured,” the magistrate ruled.
During Kiarie's arrest, detectives privy to the matter told the press that through a joint investigation with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) officials, law enforcement officers were able to trace the suspect through his mobile records to Mau Summit Town, some metres away from the accident scene.
"An investigation has commenced to establish the full circumstances leading to this crash to inform prosecution and recommendations," an officer told the press.
Police will be seeking to determine the real cause of the gruesome accident and establish if the driver was at fault.
NTSA on Tuesday had launched a manhunt for the driver as it cited lane indiscipline and dangerous overtaking on his part as the cause of the deadly crash which occurred at around 2:45 am at the Twin Bridge area.
"Preliminary crash analysis indicates that the incident is attributed to lane indiscipline and dangerous overtaking on the part of the Bus driver leading to a head-on collision with the Northways Sacco matatu," revealed NTSA.
The transport authority consequently advised motorists to be cautious on the road especially when learners are going back to school, adding that action will be taken against those breaking the laws of the road.
The statement came hours after one of the survivors of the grisly road accident revealed that the affected bus was in good condition when the crash occurred.
Speaking to the media, the survivor revealed that the bus was transiting from Congo towards Kenya having passed through Kampala in Uganda before the accident occurred.
“While coming from Congo, through Kampala to Kenya we had a good journey, we were travelling through Kenya to Dar es Salaam, the speed was okay, we were travelling in a bus. We arrived at the Kenya-Uganda border and were cleared without any problem," the survivor noted.
“We arrived here (Mau Summit) and at the time, there was another vehicle in front of us."
According to the man, at the time of the crash, the bus driver had attempted to overtake another vehicle before the passengers heard a loud bang.
"The driver was attempting to overtake then suddenly we heard a loud bang then immediately the driver told us to evacuate," added the survivor.
Furthermore, the survivor revealed that while most of the matatu's occupants died during the horrific collision, there were no deaths recorded amongst the occupants of the bus though most of them emerged with minor injuries.
