Police in Lurambi are investigating an incident where a vehicle lost control and injured seven pupils at Eshilakwe Primary School in Kakamega County on Tuesday, February 20, 2024.
According to reports, the vehicle’s brakes failed to function, culminating in the car losing control and crashing into the fence through to the playground as the children were playing.
The injured, six nursery school children and one grade four pupil, were rushed to Kakamega Referral Hospital where they received specialised medical attention.
Confirming the incident, the school headteacher noted that no fatalities were recorded, as concerned parents trooped to the school to check on their children.
“I was at home when I received a call that my child had been involved in an accident and was at the hospital,” one parent noted.
“I was shocked to hear that the vehicle went through the school fence and crashed into the kids while they were playing,” she added.
Explaining the incident, the headteacher stated that the teachers were alerted by a commotion after several students started running towards the road screaming and shouting, causing alarm.
“It was around 9:30 am and the pupils were playing outside, during the short break, when we realised the students running towards the road,” the school headteacher explained.
In a similar incident on February 13, one student died while three others were injured, after getting hit by a personal car outside Igunga Girls' High School in Vihiga County.
The four students who were crossing a tarmac road separating the school into two, were heading for a morning class.
Police officers from the area launched investigations into the incident, as residents condemned drivers for overspeeding with reckless abandon despite being well aware of the road's proximity to the school.
“Out of the three students, two were stable enough to go home, while the other one will remain behind for further management of her injuries, as the way she is presenting, indicates severe damage,” Mbale Hospital Superintendent Zimbule stated.
