Death at university doorstep: County Govt. ambulance runs over 3rd Year student

Dennis Mukalavi was riding his motorbike to Machakos University on Thursday, June 3, when he was killed by a speeding ambulance. [Mireri Junior, Standard]

A sunny Thursday afternoon, and Dennis Mukalavi, a student of Machakos University, was trying to beat time so that 2pm finds him settled in class.

Mukalavi resided off-campus.

The 26-year-old Bachelor of Education (Science) student, who had saved money and bought a motorbike, hopped onto his motorcycle minutes past 1pm, and left for school, roughly a kilometer away.

While on a zebra crossing at around 1:30pm on June 3, just outside the university’s main gate, an ambulance belonging to the Machakos County Government ploughed into the Third Year student’s bike, leaving him for dead.

The ambulance driver, who remains unidentified, fled the scene after the vehicle hurtled to the roadside.

Mukalavi’s collegemates rushed him to the Machakos Level Five Hospital while in critical condition.

Dennis Mukalavi was a Third Year student pursuing Bachelor of Education (Science) course at the Machakos University. [Mireri Junior, Standard]

The vicenarian was put on life support, but died on the same day while allegedly waiting for blood transfusion.

Mukalavi’s brother, Daniel Yator, told The Standard that had the hospital been equipped with blood, probably his sibling could be alive today.

“The management of Machakos Level Five Hospital asked Mukalavi’s collegemates to donate blood. It was during the search for matching blood that my brother died,” said Yator.

The distressed sibling says the Machakos County Government has not reached them to extend condolences, or offer to assist in funeral arrangements.

“My brother was killed by a driver employed by the county government, driving a vehicle belonging to the county government. No Machakos County Government senior staff member has communicated with my family,” Yator said.

The minister for Health in Machakos County, Dr. Ancent Kituku, however, denied that Mukalavi died due to excessive bleeding.

“We have enough blood at the Machakos Level Five Hospital’s bank. The student succumbed to head injuries, and not excessive bleeding as is being alleged,” Kituku told The Standard.

The Health CEC said the county government will not bill Mukalavi’s family for treatment or body storage expenses.

“If they (Mukalavi’s family) decide to have the deceased stored at our facility, we won’t bill them for storage or postmortem,” he said.

Dr. Kituku says the offending driver has been subjected to court action.

“I understand the driver is out on cash bail,” he said, adding: “However, as a county government, we are in touch with the Machakos University Dean of Students to see how we can be of help to the deceased’s family.”

The minister said the section of the road, where the accident occurred, has been marked for footbridge installation.

“We have reached the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to plan the installation,” he said.

The Machakos University Students’ Council said they would organise a peaceful demonstration to demand road safety facilities be put in place near the institution.

Mukalavi’s body is still preserved at the Machakos Level Five Hospital morgue as family plans to transport his remains to Kapsabet in Nandi County for burial.

The deceased’s brother, Yator, said Mukalavi was doing delivery in Machakos Town using his motorbike during free time.

The student ventured into the part-time business to raise college fees after his father died in 2015.

Between 2016 and 2019, the 26-year-old had deferred classes multiple times due to fee challenges.

“He was a survivor par excellence,” said Yator.