No accident-causing spirits at Salgaa, say Kalenjin elders

Elders from the Kalenjin community have refuted claims that there are spirits that haunt the Salgaa-Sachangwan black spot even as they revealed plans to conduct a series of cleansing prayers.

The elders disclosed the plans after holding a meeting at the African Gospel Church (AGC) in Sachangwan on Tuesday. The prayers are meant to put an end to the road carnage along the stretch.

Led by their chairman Mr. Josiah Ruttoh, the elders dispelled rumours that accidents along the road are being caused by spirits reiterating that the fatalities are being caused by careless driving.

“We will be conducting prayers on the road next week. However as we do so, we call upon motorists to exercise high levels of caution to end the rampant accidents,” said Mr. Ruttoh.

According to the elders, the mass grave along the road where the 78 victims of the 2009 oil tanker accident were buried was not the cause of accidents along the stretch.

During the accident over 100 people died after the tanker burst into flames moments after it overturned at Sachangwan.

The locals had scampered to siphon the petrol from the tanker.

The elders now want the government to erect more bumps along the stretch to curb the frequent accidents.

They also demanded that the government should construct a hospital along the road to help handle accident victims.

Plans to establish a trauma centre in Salgaa during President Mwai Kibaki’s regime never took off despite allocation of Ksh.800 million for that purpose.

“We need hospitals along the black spot to help accident victims. Every time an accident occurs we are forced to ferry victims to Nakuru Level Five hospital and other health facilities in Nakuru town,” said Mr. Ruttoh.

Since December 1, 2017 accidents on that road have claimed more than 200 lives with 180 people dying between December 1 and December 19, 2017.