By Robert Mutasi 
Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii has called for strict enforcement of traffic rules requiring petroleum tankers and other long-distance trucks to use the Eldoret Southern Bypass following a deadly tanker explosion near Paul Boit Secondary School.
The Thursday night accident along the Eldoret-Webuye Highway left three people dead and more than 20 others injured after a fuel tanker overturned and caught fire as members of the public attempted to collect leaking fuel.
Bii said the incident highlighted the risks posed by heavy commercial vehicles using routes through Eldoret town when a designated bypass is available.
“Trailers should not come through the CBD because they have the South Bypass from Cheplaskei to Maili Tisa,” the governor said.
He urged tanker operators and long-distance truck drivers to comply with the existing traffic directive, warning that a similar accident in the city’s Central Business District could have resulted in a much larger loss of life.
“I appeal to tankers and drivers to obey these rules so that we minimise such losses. If the incident was in the CBD we would have lost many people,” Bii said.
The governor also called on the Traffic Department to ensure the regulations are enforced fully.
“We ask the Traffic Department to ensure the requirement for long-distance trucks to use the bypass is implemented fully,” he said.
The Eldoret Southern Bypass links Chepskei on the Eldoret-Nakuru Highway with Maili Tisa on the Eldoret-Webuye Highway. It was built to provide an alternative route for heavy commercial traffic and reduce congestion and risks associated with trucks passing through the city.
The latest call comes amid renewed scrutiny of the movement of petroleum tankers and other heavy vehicles through Eldoret following the fatal explosion.
According to reports from Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, 23 casualties were received after the tanker fire. Eleven victims were admitted to the intensive care unit with severe burns, while five others were discharged after treatment.
Police said the tanker had overturned after a collision before members of the public gathered around the vehicle to siphon fuel. The tanker subsequently exploded, engulfing those at the scene in flames.
Bii also cautioned members of the public against approaching accident scenes involving fuel tankers, noting the danger posed by leaking petroleum products.
The governor’s intervention now places renewed attention on enforcement of the bypass regulations and the responsibility of authorities to ensure heavy commercial vehicles follow designated routes.
The incident has also revived earlier concerns over trucks using Eldoret’s central roads. In 2025, a resident petitioned the Kenya National Highways Authority to restrict long-distance trucks from the CBD and enforce the use of the Southern Bypass, citing road safety and congestion concerns.