Body Of Eldoret Man, 51, Who Drowned In River Nzoia While Driving Lorry Retrieved

• Fifty-one-year-old Mark Kipkemboi met his tragic end on Monday, December 4, after the lorry he was driving plunged into River Nzoia
• He was avoiding an oncoming vehicle when the lorry veered off; the cabin detached from the body as the water currents drove it kilometres away
• His family from Eldoret sought the help of divers from Bungoma and Kakamega to retrieve his body

Eldoret - The family of Mark Kipkemboi managed to get the body of their kin a couple of days after he drowned in River Nzoia.

Kipkemboi was behind the wheel of a lorry when it plunged into the river in his bid to avoid colliding with an oncoming vehicle at the bridge between Kakamega and Bungoma.

The accident occurred on Monday, December 4.

Witnesses revealed that the cabin of the lorry detached from the body given the impact of the fall.

Water currents pushed the wreckage away from the scene, with the body flowing with the water 7 kilometres away.

Video; courtesy

This came two days after three people were confirmed dead following an accident involving a lorry along the Eldoret-Webuye highway.

The lorry that was transporting Irish potatoes was reportedly speeding when it lost control and plunged into the raging waters of River Nzoia.

According to witnesses, the lorry's brakes seemed to have failed, causing it to veer off the highway while attempting to cross the Kaburengo bridge.

"I was at Kaburengu, and a Canter-type vehicle appeared from Chimoi. This vehicle seemed to have a brake failure; it was bouncing over bumps. It went past the first one until the last bump when the driver started to struggle with controling it until it plunged into River Nzoia," said Francis Walutili.

Other residents claimed the lorry was overloaded and might have contributed to the road carnage, asking the government to take action.

Residents rushed to the scene to help with rescue operations as they fought against heavy currents under the bridge.

A despicable incident that did not go down well with a section of the residents saw some local rescuers try to loot the potatoes.

Bungoma residents give measures to be taken

Vincent Sindani, a local preacher, has appealed to companies to have drivers work in shifts to deal with fatigue.

He claimed the accidents might be caused by drivers who sleep at the wheel because of fatigue after driving for hours.

Sindani called on drivers to be extra-vigilant during the festive season and to observe all the traffic rules.

"The incident that occurred today, personally, I can say for those companies that employ drivers, I would like to advise that you should at least schedule drivers to have their designated times. There is a possibility that people are placed on trucks driving for long hours until they get tired.

In this Christmas season, I would like to request that drivers be cautious on the roads and observe the road signs. If you look at Chimoi, they have marked a black spot ahead; you should be on the look out," he stated.