- The girl was among four students from Igunga Girls High School who were hit by a speeding vehicle as they crossed the road.
- Igunga Girls High School has two compounds; one for the boarding section and the other for classes and are separated by the Stendikisa-Kilingili Road.
Image: THE STAR
One student died on Tuesday morning after she was hit by a speeding vehicle along the busy Stendikisa-Kilingili Road in Vihiga.
The girl was among four students from Igunga Girls High School who were hit by a speeding vehicle as they crossed the road.
Igunga Girls High School has two compounds; one for the boarding section and the other for classes and are separated by the Stendikisa-Kilingili Road.
Over one thousand students are forced to daily cross the road to access either of the sections.
Confirming the accident, Sabatia Sub-County Police Commander Patrick Gogo said the four students were crossing the road to go to class for their morning lessons when the vehicle knocked them down close to the school gate.
"We are investigating the incident to see if both parties were negligent and we shall be taking the relevant action," said Gogo.
The student who succumbed was in form one and was barely a month old at the institution.
The three others were rushed to the Vihiga County Referral Hospital (VCRH) in Mbale.
The hospital's medical superintendent Dr Victor Zimbulu said the girl was confirmed dead on arrival.
Zimbuli said among the three, two were treated for minor injuries and discharged while one is still admitted at the facility.
"We have managed to discharge two who had minor tissue injuries, while the third one is receiving specialised treatment to confirm the extent of her injuries, " said Zimbulu.
Stendikisa-Kilingili Road in Sabatia Constituency has claimed several lives.
In March 2023, Sabatia MP Clement Sloya sent a letter to Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) requesting the government agency to move with speed and erect speed bumps on the road.
This was after a kindergarten pupil died after he was knocked down by a speeding vehicle along a busy road.
In a rejoinder, KeNHA replied to the MP committing to expediting the process of rehabilitating the road with the necessary safety attributes such as the construction of rumble bumps, installation of warning signage and road markings to cater for the needs of the pedestrians and other road users.
"The commitment has remained a commitment with no tangible action on the ground until now we have lost another student," Sloya said.
Sloya castigated the authority for the slow pace in ensuring the safety of the students and other road users along the road.
"This accident could have been avoided. This begs the question, for how long shall our people keep losing lives on this road under KENHA's watch? Our people deserve better and it is not a request but a basic right," said Sloya