Tearful send-off for three pupils killed by speeding matatu
A somber mood engulfed a village in Kitui County on Saturday during a send-off of three children who were crushed to death by a matatu along Mwingi Kyuso road on September 2 as they walked to school.
At a joint funeral service for the children at Kandwia AIC church near their parent’s homes, mourners fought back tears at the sight of the three caskets bearing the bodies being removed from a hearse.
The three schooled at Kandwia primary school.
The speeding matatu christened “Itumba” veered off the road and crashed Abednego Ngumbau Musyoki 12, Josephat Muthui Musyoki, 10 and Lucy Kavutha Musyoki, 5, to death in what was described by locals as a mad rush for passengers.
DUSTY ROAD
The Mwingi- Tseikuru bound matatu was attempting to overtake another matatu dubbed Makandara at Kandwia area when it veered off the dusty road and ploughed into a group of the primary school pupils who were walking on the side of the road at around 7am.
Sadly, Josephat who was in class four, his sister Lucy Kavutha, an ECDE learner and Abednego, a class three pupil, died on the spot.
Following the horrible carnage, angry residents torched the two vehicles, but crew members took on their heels for their dear lives.
The agitated villagers went on to protest the tragedy by barricading the busy road for three days until the police intervened.
EMOTIONAL BURIAL
At the emotional burial ceremony was an eight-year-old Mwende Musyoki who had survived the accident but had her left leg amputated leaving her unable to walk to school or perform other chores.
Local leaders led by Kyuso Ward MCA Ms Angeline Mbula and her Mumomi counterpart, Mr Titus Kasinga, condemned the killing of the young and promising children by a reckless matatu driver.
The leaders wondered why the National Transport Authority (NTSA) had not reigned in on the two matatu firms following their involvement on numerous accidents along the route.
They called on the locals to boycott travelling in the “rogue” vehicles due to their “impunity, indiscipline and intolerance”.
They further demanded that the fleet of vehicles from the company be withdrawn from the route.
A neighbor and a relative Mr Musili Kivunzi said the death of the three children was a big blow to the families.
He called on the government to tame the two saccos.
CALLED ON NTSA
Recently while condoling the two bereaved families for the loss of their innocent kin area MP John Munuve called on the NTSA to ban the companies of the killer vehicles from operating in the area.
“NTSA and police should resolutely ensure that matatus belonging to the two companies do not ply that route again,” Mr Munuve said.
The lawmaker vowed to push NTSA to cancel their operating licenses.
“We have said enough is enough. We cannot afford losing more lives anymore,” he said.
