Five people were killed on Sunday morning in an accident involving an oil tanker, a tractor and a pro-box vehicle on the Eldoret-Malaba highway.
Two other passengers are said to have survived with serious injuries and have been admitted to hospital following the 4am accident in Murugusi area.
The accident involved an oil tanker heading for the Malaba border, a tractor carrying hardcore building materials and the Probox vehicle coming from Busia.
On reaching the scene, police said the oil tanker, reportedly travelling at high speed, hit the tractor before ramming into an oncoming Probox vehicle, dragging it more than fifteen metres.
As a result of the accident, five people in the Probox vehicle died on the spot and two others suffered serious injuries after they managed to jump out of the vehicle.
They were taken to Eldoret Hospital with their injuries.
The drivers of both the oil tanker and the tractor escaped unhurt.
Lugari sub-county police commander Julius Meli said the tractor driver and his passengers escaped after the accident.
The bodies have been taken to Webuye sub-county mortuary for identification and post-mortem.
“We have arrested the driver of the oil tanker and are pursuing the occupants of the tractor who are at large,” Mr Meli said.
The National Traffic and Safety Authority (NTSA) estimates that 3,000 people die in road accidents every year, with many of the accidents occurring on weekends and public holidays.
The hours between 5pm and 8am are considered the peak time for accidents, with drink-driving and carelessness cited as some of the main causes of accidents.
