Five people are dead and three others are fighting for their lives following a gruesome Tuesday night road accident at the notorious Makotelo area along the Webuye-Malaba highway.

The horrific crash, which occurred just minutes before midnight, involved a public service vehicle (PSV) matatu and a heavy commercial trailer that was heading toward Webuye from Kanduyi.

Bungoma South OCPD William Letting confirmed the fatalities, noting that the victims comprised three men and two women who died on the spot due to the impact of the collision.

The three survivors sustained severe injuries and were rushed to nearby medical facilities for emergency treatment.

The tragedy quickly sparked outrage among local residents who rushed to the scene.

Risky road design

The locals are pointing fingers at the design of the road and law enforcement actions post-crash:

Residents are making an urgent appeal to the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to install immediate speed bumps at the Makotelo stretch, labeling it an accident blackspot where rampant speeding goes unchecked.

The community has also demanded the immediate release of four local youths who were arrested by police at the crash site.

While police accuse the four of attempting to loot from the victims, residents maintain the youth had gathered purely to offer rescue assistance.

Police have launched investigations to establish the exact cause of the midnight crash.