School bus was overloaded and speeding, Kisii accident survivors say

By KENAN MIRUKA

KISII; KENYA: The ill-fated bus where 13 people, including nine students and four teachers lost their lives was speeding and overloaded.

Survivors of the horror crash narrated their experiences as they recuperated at the Kisii Level Five Hospital yesterday.

The bus belonging to Rioma Secondary School overturned as the driver tried to negotiate a sharp bend along the newly built Itumbe-Igare road in Sameta District.

Unconfirmed reports indicate the bus was ferrying 87 people among them students and teachers from Nyakeyo, Engoto Nyagesenda, Kenyoro, Rioma, Itibo and Tambacha secondary schools.

Rescuers, including priests from Nyamagwa Catholic Parish struggled to pull out survivors from the bus using axes to cut metal. Some students were thrown out of the bus during the accident.

“I was seated at the middle of the bus which was carrying over 80 students. In fact some of them were standing. Suddenly, I saw a sharp bend and the driver applied brakes. I found myself outside,” recalled Erastus Momanyi, a student at Nyakeyo Secondary School.

The student was part of the 12-member badminton and table tennis players from the school who were going to take part in the regional games at Nyamache.

“The driver was driving dangerously even as we left Marani. Sadly, we lost our Agriculture teacher, Mr Charles Makori,” added the student.

Another student, Judy Monari from Engoto Secondary School said she escaped through a window but sustained head injuries.

Narrow escape

Their teachers narrowly cheated death when they opted to remain behind, as the bus was full beyond capacity. At the Kisii Level Five Hospital mortuary, family and relatives of the deceased lined up to view the bodies.

Emotions ran high as wailing parents and relatives were overcome by emotion after viewing the bodies.

Principal Mesari Secondary School Henry Nyamweya, who also perished in the ill-fated bus, was described by many as a true sportsman who always wanted to nature students’ talents at a tender age.

Sources told The Standard that the driver who is also critically injured was called in to ferry the team to Nyamache despite the fact that he was not an employee of any of the schools.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers Kisii County Executive Secretary Ben Nyaundi consoled the bereaved families.