Nairobi — Fourteen people perished in an early morning accident along the Kisumu-Kericho road on Sunday after a matatu (public minivan) they were travelling in was involved in ahead-on collision with a trailer, said Kericho deputy police boss, Augustine Nthumbi.

He said all the passengers in the matatu died on the spot alongside two pedestrians. According to Mr Nthumbi, the trailer that was travelling from Kericho towards Kisumu rammed into the matatu shortly after 9am near Kaitui shopping centre.

"Although we have just launched investigations into the cause of the accident, initial reports indicate that the trailer lost control after brake failure before it hit the on-coming matatu," he said.

Eyewitnesses said the truck hit the matatu head-on before dragging it for more than 100 metres before rolling to different sides of the road.

"All the passengers in the matatu including the driver died on the spot and their bodies were removed from the wreckage and taken to Kericho District Mortuary," Mr Nthumbi said.

The accident occurred less than five kilometres away from the scene where more than 40 people were burnt and six of them died after an oil tanker they were siphoning fuel from exploded.

On Sunday, onlookers did not attempt to loot hundreds of bags of salt that were strewn all over the accident scene. The truck belonging to Marison Traders was transporting nearly 40 tonnes of salt.

Mr Nthumbi said two other people who died in the accident were a boy and a girl who were herding cattle nearby before they were hit by the trailer. "They were rushed to Kericho District Hospital but the information we have is that they died on arrival," he said.

The deputy OCPD said the driver of the ill-fated trailer and the loader were missing. "We have been informed that they were seen leaving the accident scene after they accident but they are yet to report to any of the nearby police stations," he said.

Attempts to get details of the passengers from Molo Line Prestige Shuttle offices in Kisumu were unsuccessful. An employee at the office said they did not have the details.

On Sunday, traffic enforcement officer Vitalis Otieno said 60 percent of vehicles in the country have their speed governors tampered with and fixed switches to turn them on and off at the to evade arrest.