Two Co-operative University students die and 33 hurt in election campaigns

The hired minibus that rolled at Cooperative University College

Campaigns to elect new student union officials at a university in Nairobi ended tragically after two students died yesterday.

And over 30 students of the Co-operative University College of Kenya's main campus in Karen were injured after a bus hired by one of the student-leader hopefuls overturned as it made rounds in the institution.

Journalists were denied entry to the university, which is set to hold its students' elections on Thursday.

According to witnesses, the bus was overloaded with students, with some hanging on it when the mishap happened at 11am.

Nairobi County Traffic Commandant Edward Mwamburi confirmed the incident and said the driver of the vehicle was drunk at the time it occurred. "Two young men lost their lives after the driver of the 33-seater matatu lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle landed on its side, squashing some of the students who were hanging on it," said the traffic police boss, who added that 33 students sustained injuries.

"We have the driver in our custody and we established he was drunk when the fatal crash occurred," added Mr Mwamburi.

The college in a statement sent to newsrooms termed the incident as highly regrettable, saying they had  dispatched staff to the hospitals where the students were taken to closely monitor the situation.

"We are in touch with parents of the affected students and they are fully informed about the situation," said Principal Douglas Shitanda in a statement.

The wreckage was towed to Karen Police Station and the injured students are recuperating at Kenyatta National Hospital and Coptic Hospital, where they were rushed for medical attention.

 According to the police boss, the bodies of the two students were taken to Kenyatta National Hospital Mortuary. "We are warning drivers not to drive when they are inebriated. Such an incident where we lost two brilliant young men would not have occurred. We shall take stern action on anyone we find driving while drunk," he warned.

Elsewhere, two people died in a road accident at Kolol viewpoint along the Iten-Kabaranet road.

The duo died on the spot after their vehicle failed to negotiate a sharp corner and rammed into a barrier, after which the vehicle rolled down the deep cliff.