Sombre mood in Nyayo Estate as couple mourns 3-year-old son crushed by school van

Parents of a 3-year-old Boy Bradly Onyango of Good Testimony Junior School narrate how their son was crushed to death after alighting from the same bus. [PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE/STANDARD]

NAIROBI: The memories of Bradley Onyango, aged 3, who was run over by the van dropping him from school, are still fresh in the mind of his elder brother Jason Onyango, aged 5, who is always asking when his brother will come home from hospital.

Bradley, a third born in a family of three boys was in a company of his brother Jason when they were dropped on Monday afternoon from school. Though he cannot understand what transpired, Jason saw his brother in a pool of blood and knows that he was taken to hospital and he will come back home to join them.

The day began well and his parents; Robert Onyango and Irene Atieno, who are both working in different law firms in the Central Business District (CBD) left for work at 5.30am as usual. Their house help Jacklyne Mulivitsi prepared the children who could later be picked at 7.30am for their school; Good Testimony School in Embakasi.

The children are dropped to their homes at 2pm from school but on Monday, but the school van came at 1.30pm according to Jacklyne.

"It was 1.30pm and I had gone to pick something at a shop outside the gate. On my way back, I saw the school bus ahead of me and I was surprised since they were dropped before time. When I arrived at the gate, the van had just dropped them and was reversing to continue dropping others. Suddenly, neighbours shouted my name screaming," says Jacklyne.

As she tried to get a glimpse of what happened, one of the school's teachers picked the child and together with her, they rushed him to a hospital within the estate using a neighbours car.

Irene says her house help called her but she could not explain to her what had gone wrong.

"She called me but she could not talk. I never thought it was something serious since we always communicate with her a lot. I called her back and she was screaming. I sensed danger and informed my husband. After receiving the news that Bradley was involved in an accident, we both left to the clinic but we found that he had passed on," says Irene.

Bradley's father Robert Onyango said the doctor's report indicated that there was a lot of internal bleeding nothing much could be done to bring back his life.

"The boy was just in school for two months and we found his first exams in his bag Tuesday. He was a bright boy who was a source of joy in our family," he said.

His mother said: "Bradley could make us laugh since he could sing a lot and make everyone happy. He was always the last one to sleep and he was passionate with education. It takes time to come to terms with his demise."

Though his parents are yet to get the full details surrounding the matter Irene, who was overwhelmed with grief lamented how her child can be killed outside his house.

"He was a baby; you don't expect a baby to be run over like that. We are yet to know what happened. It pains me when I imagine what he went through," Irene said amid sobs.

Even though the memories of the boy are still fresh in their minds, Robert hopes that his demise will not go in vain.

"We hope his death will not go in vain. Let it be a lesson to the school, other schools and parents," he concluded.