35 dead in bus crash as Kenya braces for elections next week

NAIROBI: At least 35 people in eastern Kenya died yesterday when the bus they were traveling in veered out of control and rolled several times, police said.
Traffic police chief boss Samuel Kimaru said 11 people died at the scene and another 24 while being treated or on their way to hospital.
Many of those on the bus — traveling from the capital Nairobi to the northeastern town of Garissa — were believed to have been on their way to vote in Kenya's general elections next Monday.
More than 20 other passengers were admitted to hospital, Kimaru added.
The crash is the latest in a string of fatal accidents, with 17 people killed and dozens injured in two separate crashes in Kenya's coastal region on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta are neck-and-neck in opinion polls, pointing to another very close and potentially contentious outcome. Results are expected to come out within 48 hours of the vote.