A mother and her four-year-old child last night perished in an accident at Korrompoi junction along the Nairobi-Namanga highway.
According to Isinya Sub County Police Commander Simon Lokitari, a motorcycle operator carrying the mother, Lucy Mwikali, and her child collided with the Canter, and the two died on the spot.
The boda boda driver disappeared into the crowd and remains at large. A rowdy crowd assaulted the canter driver and left him with serious head injuries.
The crowds then proceeded to vandalize the lorry, stole the ‘chokaa’ it was carrying and then torched it.
Traffic officers from Kitengela and Isinya, together with the Sub County Police Commander, responded to the incident and tried to negotiate with the residents for them to pick up the bodies but the residents declined, forcing them to use teargas to disperse the crowds.
The crowds were later controlled and upon the request of neighbours who knew the casualties, the bodies were taken to Shalom Community Hospital Mortuary.
The incident caused a traffic snarl-up on the road for four hours.
The area residents are now urging the Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) to erect speed bumps on that section of the road, as vehicles usually speed off, causing accidents.
Lokitari revealed that relevant government authorities were investigating the accident.
By Diana Meneto
