When the name Ngata is mentioned, many associate it with the posh estate and prime land where several Nakuru residents want to have what they call their own home.

Situated on the busy Nakuru-Eldoret highway, Ngata Estate is one of the estates that is home to a mix of students from nearby educational institutions such as the Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology, as well as the who's who of Nakuru County.

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The Governor of Nakuru, Susan Kihika, is said to have a palatial home here - a true indicator that this is indeed an estate for the 'mighty'.

The price of a plot here ranges from Sh400,000 to Sh600,000 depending on size and proximity to the highway.

The majority of those who live in this estate prefer to live a quiet life owning their own compound houses, except for the students who prefer to party either in the rented rooms or make it to the centre in some of the joints that have sprung up.

However, Ngata's good image is now being tarnished by the continuing reports of numerous accidents in the area.

The Ngata bridge.

Photo credit: Bret Sanya/ Mtaa Wangu

Just recently, an accident involving a tanker and a passenger service vehicle left a family mourning the death of their 10-year-old son, who died while receiving treatment at Nakuru Level 5 Hospital.

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In December 2022, another accident in the same area left seven people dead and scores injured after a trailer rammed into a matatu plying the Ngata-Nakuru route.

The accident came barely two weeks after three people died on 26 November 2022 when a 14-passenger matatu collided with a high speed trailer at Ngata Bridge.

As a result of the numerous accidents at Ngata, the Kenya National Highways Authority has erected a sign that designates the area around Ngata Bridge as a black spot.

This is perhaps a way of sensitising drivers and road users to be careful when using this part of the highway.

In a way, this is taking some of the shine off the posh development. The locals are also disturbed by the continued accidents and hope that the government will do something to address the challenges that lead to the accidents.

Mr David Otieno, a bodaboda operator in Ngata, says the accidents recorded in the area are a clear indication that something is wrong and that in time Ngata Estate will not have a name.

He blames the accidents on excessive speeding by commercial vehicle drivers using the highway.

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These sentiments are echoed by Mr Omboka Monda, who says it is time for the government to act to ensure that the road does not continue to claim lives.

"We pay taxes and the government should provide services to the people. The government should not make a lot of promises to the people about this road and then not do anything," he says.

In January, Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen assured Nakuru residents that the Ngata Bridge bottleneck would be upgraded to a dual carriageway, similar to the 22-kilometre Sobea-Salgaa-Mau Summit dual carriageway, and that the work would be completed by April this year.

pmambili@gmailo.com

My Hood: Posh Ngata estate gets ugly reputation

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Pristone Mambili