Where is the man who killed our daughter? Why was the vehicle released? Why are the police taking too long to bring the suspect to book?

These are some of the questions going through the minds of Stephen Obiero and Ruth Adhiambo, parents of Yvonne Akinyi, an eight-year-old who was knocked dead by a private car in Bondo last week.

The pupil at Rambugu Primary School in Rarieda Sub-county succumbed on Saturday at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Referral Hospital in Kisumu where she had been moved to from Bondo Sub-County Hospital.

According to a postmortem conducted on Monday, she died as a result of a blood clot in her brain. She also had fractures on her skull. The body was later transferred to Bondo Sub-County Hospital mortuary.

On December 28, 2018m at about 1pm, Akinyi and her elder sister were going to the salon across the road.

“We have information that the driver was arrested but later released. What we want is just but justice,” said Obiero.

Even though the family has planned to bury her on January 5, the family’s ordeal is far from over. He lamented that police had kept them in the dark following the incident.

Beryl Oyieko who first rescued the deceased from the accident scene at Ajigo said the driver sped off after the incident.

“I boarded a motorbike with the girl who was bleeding profusely before another private car belonging to Cavince Owidi, who identified himself as the Chairman of Lake Basin Development Authority in Kisumu, offered us a lift to Bondo sub county hospital,” said Ms Oyieko.

Mr Owidi who spoke to The Standard on the phone confirmed that he rescued the girl and rushed her to hospital in Bondo.

“At the facility, the nurse we found quickly mobilized her colleagues who attended to her before she was rushed to Kisumu,” he said.

Rarieda OCPD Thomas Sangut, however, denied the accident was caused by a hit-and-run driver.

“It was not a hit-and-run accident. The driver reported at Ndori patrol base. The young girl was rushed to Bondo Sub-County Hospital and she was referred to Kisumu's Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Hospital,” said Sangut.

The police boss who said the vehicle was taken for inspection, did not however, reveal the whereabouts of the driver who according to a statement recorded with the police was identified as Titus Agwanda.

Obiero, the deceased girl's father, said they have not heard anything from the driver of the vehicle.

“I am aware of such an accident,” said Agwanda when contacted by the contacts recorded at the Ndori police station vide OB: 6/28/12/2018.

Akinyi’s mother Ruth Adhiambo said, “I'm lost for words, I want quick justice. It is hard to believe that my daughter is no more.”

She called on the police to apprehend and charge the driver.