Following a recent tragic accident where 14 lives were lost after a transit vehicle's brakes failed, authorities have come forward to raise awareness and educate truck drivers, on the runway truck ramp

This safety feature on highways, especially those with steep declines, is designed to help stop trucks that have lost their brakes by using gravel or sand.

“The infrastructure along the 11-kilometre stretch from Kibunja to Molo River, at the Migaa blackspot area, has a sole duty to stop vehicles that have lost control, especially those that have lost brakes”, says an official from the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA).

Corridor Director for Corridor Management B at KeNHA Eng. Kibet Tirgen addresses the media on March 18, 2025 near the Migaa blackspot area.

Photo credit: LELETI JASSOR/MTAA WNAGU

“We have seen over time that this section of the northern corridor between Salgaa and Sachangwan is affected most of the time by traffic from vehicles descending and losing brakes. And about a year and a half ago, we installed the runway ramp long enough to accommodate and stop any truck, whether loaded or empty,” says Eng. Kibet Tirgen, the Corridor Director for Corridor Management B at KeNHA.

He advises vehicle owners plying the route whose vehicles are in good condition, descending towards Salgaa, if there is no traffic, to use the inner lane (on the right-hand side) and leave space on the left side (on the left-hand side) for trucks, so they can access the infrastructure.

Other than that, the authority says it has put up enough signage not only at Migaa but in different sections that are prone to vehicles that have lost control.

Molo Sub-County Police Commander, Timon Odingo, put out a warning to matatu drivers who often use the ramp as a stage.

New jersey barriers installed along the Kibunja- Salgaa stretch near the Migaa blackspot area on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway. Photo taken on March 18, 2025.

Photo credit: LELETI JASSOR/MTAA WANGU

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“We urge all drivers, local and international, to use the runaway ramp in case of mechanical failure. Many think this is a place to park a matatu, but this is not a bus stop, and we will not allow them to continue like that. They should not block the vehicles that are supposed to use this road,” says Odingo.

He reminds drivers to check their vehicle's brakes before traveling for the holiday season and warns matatu drivers to not give their vehicles to inexperienced ones, especially on dangerous roads like Sachangwan, which require expert handling.

“We’ve noticed that in areas where New Jersey barriers have been removed due to accidents, some reckless drivers take advantage of gaps and put on their hazard lights and drive through those gaps instead of using the turns and roundabouts downhill. This behavior is extremely dangerous and could lead to serious accidents, as those coming uphill may not see you and may not give way,” warns Odingo.

Truck drivers urged to use runway ramps along Salgaa-Sachangwan stretch

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Leleti Jassor