Nine pupils perished on Saturday night in a grisly accident involving their school bus and a truck near Mwingi town, Kitui County.
The pupils from St Gabriel Academy died after their bus rolled and plunged into the river following the collision that occurred a short distance from Tyaa River bridge.
The pupils were returning from a trip to Mombasa and had only two kilometres to reach their school when the accident occurred some minutes to midnight leaving 28 of their colleagues with serious injuries.
[caption caption="The St Gabriel Academy accident scene"]
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According to Kitui OCPD Muthuri Mwongera, the casualties from the school run by the Kitui Catholic Diocese have been taken to Mwingi Level IV Hospital.
On his part, Kitui County's Health chief officer, Dr Mukula Muthoka, said six pupils have sustained multiple fractures after the bus plunged into the dry Kanginga River bed, which feeds into River Tyaa.
According to the medic, the six have been referred to Kenyatta National Hospital for specialised treatment as other sources indicate that the police arrested the driver of the truck 15Km from the accident scene as he tried to flee to Nairobi.
"We have put him in custody and will be arraigned tomorrow to face charges of causing death by dangerous driving," the OCPD indicated.
A teacher who was accompanying the pupils during the Mombasa trip has reportedly not been found after the accident involving the bus which had been hired from another school and was ferrying 39 pupils, three teachers, a matron and the driver.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has sent a message of condolence to the families of nine pupils: "It is indeed sad and unfortunate that we lost those we look forward to secure the future of our great nation."
Many schools embark of academic trips in August which coincides with the end of the second term of the school calender and the beginning of the August holidays.
The Ministry of Education has in the past put in place stringent measures to avert the frequent road accidents involving school buses following outcry from parents over the unregulated school transportation sector.
For instance, former Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has in the past directed that school buses must operate between 6 am to 6 pm.
The Education Ministry equally enforced the Traffic (Amendment) Act 2016 which requires all school buses to be painted yellow.
School buses were also required to carry a specific number of children, undergo frequently scheduled inspection and be fitted with appropriate seats and safety belts among other requirements.
Here are more photos from the scene:
[caption caption="The wreckage of the bus ferrying St Gabriel Academy pupils"]
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