Cause of Kisumu Train Accident Explained

Kenya Railways Corporation has blamed an early morning train accident on poor drainage and ongoing road constructions along its Nakuru-Kisumu railway line.

The corporation first stated that no injuries were reported during the accident on Saturday, September 24 at around 7 a.m.

According to a statement issued on Saturday, September 24, heavy rainfall in Lakeside City the day before contributed to the accumulation of waste at the railway intersection.

Furthermore, contractors working on a road project adjacent to the line are said to have dumped the waste cited by Kenya Railways.

“Our locomotive derailed due to heavy siltation at the point the Kakamega-Kisumu road intersects the railway line.

“This siltation was as a result of the accumulation of waste due to poor drainage and dumping from a nearby road construction site which was washed off by heavy rains that occurred last night, and then settled into the road-railway line intersection,” read the statement in part.

The incident, however, caused a traffic jam on the Kisumu-Kakamega highway by closing a section of the busy road.

The corporation assured its customers that it was working around the clock to restore normalcy to its services.

As a result, motorists using the highway were advised to take alternate routes in and out of the city.

“We are working closely with Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to clear the road and bring the situation back to normalcy,” read the statement in part.

The accident occurred less than a month after former President Uhuru Kenyatta dedicated the renovated line that connects the lakeside city to the capital city.

The railway was supposed to be part of the Standard Gauge Railway, but due to budgetary constraints, Uhuru’s administration chose to renovate the existing Meter Gauge Railway (MGR), which had been dormant for years.