Lorry goes up in flames

By MN Reporter

Boda boda operator in Migori torched the second lorry in a week after it allegedly ran over one of their own at Kokura, four Kilometers from Awendo town.

Ouma Olum, 20, died on the spot after he was allegedly hit by the overspending lorry that was coming from Kisii headed to Migori town.

According to Enoch Rangile, the driver of the empty lorry attempted to drive off but was blocked by a matatu ferrying passengers forcing him to cling onto a cane hauling tractor to Awendo police station where he sought refuge.

“A matatu which was ahead and passengers in it who saw the accident blocked his way before he ran, but he managed to cling on a sugarcane hauling tractor and ran away,” Rangile said.

He said they chose to burn the lorry because the driver left a lifeless body “after his brains was strewn all over the road,” so that he will know the value of life.

The body was taken to Rapcom Hospital mortuary after it was taken by traffic police officers when the driver alerted them at Awendo police station.

The rioting youth set the lorry ablaze before the police came and picked the lifeless body leaving the lorry burning to ashes.

But a section of the demonstrators attributed the death to the narrow road between Awendo and Kisii.

Jacob Otieno said the bushes around the road are cleared yearly but nothing was done on the road.

Otieno also accused National Transport and Safety Authority for taking bribes from speeding drivers “encouraging them” to drive recklessly.

On Monday evening, another lorry driver had his vehicle torched within Awendo town only three kilometers away from the same venue over similar incident.

The driver knocked down a motorbike operator in Migori town and managed to escape from rowdy motorbike operators who chased him over 30 kilometers away to the venue.