Chinese construction company lorry veers off the road and crashes boy to death

A nine-year-old boy died after a lorry belonging to a Chinese construction company veered off the road, crushing their house in Marakwet West.

Shocked witnesses said Anderson Kipkemei, a standard three pupil at Kimani Primary school, was sitting in their living room when the lorry sped off the sloppy road before landing on their roof-top in Kimnai village.

Marakwet West county sub-county commander Ibrahim Kosi on Saturday said the body of the boy was still trapped under the rubble of the mangled house since 8pm on Friday when the incident happened.

Mr Kosi said preliminary reports indicate the driver of the Chinese contractor currently constructing Kapsait-Cheptongei road parked the lorry by the roadside, but an inexperienced construction worker got into it and attempted to drive, causing the lorry to speed off before veering off the road.

The police commander said the inexperienced driver jumped out of the lorry and escaped unhurt.

“Family members were alarmed when the lorry sped off and everyone scampered for safety. The young boy could not manage to run faster and he was caught up by the speeding lorry while still inside the house. He died at the scene,” Mr Kosi said.

He said the driver was arrested and is being held at Kapsowar Police Station where he is being probed in connection with the tragic incident.

“Police officers have been deployed to the scene to help in retrieval of the body. We are also taking the lorry for inspection to determine its roadworthiness,” said Mr Kosi.