- Parents of Kisii National Polytechnic students have appealed to authorities to guarantee their children’s safety after a fatal road accident near the institution’s gate.
- Three people died, including a truck driver, conductor and boda boda rider, when a lorry lost control and rammed into a petrol station.
- Local leaders have called for urgent government intervention, describing the Keroka-Kisii road stretch as a black spot.
Parents of students learning at Kisii National Polytechnic have appealed to authorities to assure them of the safety of their children after a fatal road accident near the institution’s gate on Sunday morning.
The parents, who spoke to Education News in Kisii town, said they learned about the accident which claimed three people and left many others injured. The injured, including pedestrians, were taken to various hospitals within Kisii town and its environs.
According to eyewitnesses, a truck travelling along the Keroka-Kisii road lost control near Kereri Girls School, rolled and rammed into a petrol station near Kisii National Polytechnic. It collided with several vehicles that were on the road and boda boda riders. The driver, his conductor, and a boda boda rider died instantly.
The victims in eight affected vehicles included two students and an electrician, who was treated at Christamarine Mission Hospital and discharged.
Kisii Central MCA Alfred Monyenye sent condolences to families that lost their loved ones. He appealed to motorists to be more careful on the roads if many lives are to be saved from road carnage. Monyenye said that the Kisii National Polytechnic – Daraja Moja Junction road has become a black spot whose solution needs urgent government attention.
A Recurring Tragedy
The accident has occurred barely three months after a truck fell at the same spot, killing people and prompting protests from Kisii National Polytechnic students who questioned their safety at the institution.
Efforts by this reporter to get Kisii National Polytechnic Chief Principal Geoffrey Andama for comment failed as he was unavailable by the time of going to print.
READ ALSO: No child should learn in fear: Why northern Kenya must end the cycle of banditry
Kisii County Police Commander Ronald Kirui confirmed the deaths, saying the bodies had been preserved at Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital Mortuary. He added that security officers had launched investigations to establish the cause of the accident.
By Enock Okongó
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
