A one-year old baby died after being hit by a truck at a slum in Nairobi on Wednesday, January 28, 2021.
The incident took place at Lengo area in Mukuru-Kaiyaba slum in Starehe Sub-county.
As a result of the incident, angry residents barricaded roads in Industrial Area to protest the incident. Anti-riot police officers had to arrive and disperse the protesters using tear gas canisters.
According to South B Youth Leader, Rotrigues Lunalo, the driver of the lorry was delivering beer to a depot located in the slum when the accident happened.
According to the source, the child was sitting on a chair outside a shop, alone, as the mother had reportedly entered the shop to serve a customer when the truck approached.
The startled child is alleged to have fallen from the seat, and was immediately ran over.
''The baby was startled by the roar of the truck and fell to the ground and was ran over,'' Lunalo stated.
Business came to a standstill in the slum and parts of Industrial Area for hours as police confronted protesters. Busia Road was particularly impassable after youths closed the road and barricaded Sigei Road as well.
Later, area MP Charles Njagua Kanyi arrived, addressed the protesters and calmed them.
‘‘There is no need for you to burn the vehicle. It is better that you give me five leaders so that we can go to the police station to file our complaints,” MP Jaguar advised.
Makadara Deputy Police Commander Judith Nyongesa confirmed that the truck driver was arrested and detained at the Industrial Area Police Station.
Nyongesa added that the suspect will appear in court, but also called on parents to take care of their children when they are at home to avoid accidents.
She urged members of the people not to maintain peace and avoid taking the law into their own hands.
"I tell parents that they must take care of their children at home. For the youth, there is no need to provoke a riot, there are procedures to use according to the law to resolve matters instead of causing chaos and property damage during protests,'' Makadara Deputy Police Commander remarked.
She further added that people protesting often interfere with police investigations where things like evidence are distorted during such cases.
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