A tragic road accident involving a Climax bus and the late businessman and former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo has sparked widespread debate after the bus driver gave a chilling account of the moments leading to the fatal collision.
Tirus Kamau Githinji, 52, the driver of the Climax bus, says he has over eight years of professional driving experience. Speaking after the accident, Githinji claimed that the deceased abruptly joined the highway from a petrol station at high speed without observing traffic rules, leaving him with very limited options to avert disaster.
According to Githinji, the situation was worsened by wet road conditions following heavy rainfall.
“Nilijaribu kushika break nikaona gari linateleza kwa vile kulikuwa kumenyesha. Niliona badala niangushe watu 65 nikaacha break,” he said, explaining that applying the brakes caused the bus to skid. Faced with an imminent loss of control, he made a split-second decision that resulted in a head-on collision.
The Climax bus was travelling from Nairobi to Busia and was carrying 65 passengers at the time of the crash. Remarkably, Githinji says none of the passengers sustained injuries, a fact that has intensified public discussion around the difficult choices drivers face in emergency situations.
Sadly, Cyrus Jirongo did not survive the crash. His body has since been transferred to Lee Funeral Home in Nairobi for preservation as the family prepares for burial arrangements.
Authorities are expected to conduct further investigations to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the accident.
The incident has once again highlighted concerns over road safety, reckless highway entry, and the deadly consequences of split-second decisions on Kenya’s roads.
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