A family in Bungoma County is demanding justice for their nine year old girl who was knocked down and seriously injured by a vehicle belonging to the county government.
The distraught mother, Elizabeth Barasa said the victim, Patience Kilobi was hit by a county vehicle attached to the department of Livestock, registration number 39CG 021A on April 1 this year, while on her way to school.
Barasa said the girl has since been hospitalized at the Bungoma West Hospital with the bill accumulating to Sh1.4 million, adding that she was not happy with the manner in which the case was being handled.
In an interview with KNA at the hospital, the mother said her daughter is a class 4 pupil at Sunny Junior Academy.
She was first taken to Bungoma referral hospital morgue by the police but keen mortuary attendants discovered that she was still breathing though unconscious, prompting them to rush her to Bungoma West Hospital.
After a thorough checkup it was discovered that she fractured both hands, broke her ribs and suffered internal bleeding.
The girl has now been referred for further treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral hospital in Eldoret but is still being detained at the current hospital due unpaid bill.
“I have no job and I cannot raise the money, the county officials promised to help me but they have now gone mute over the matter,” lamented the mother.
The girl who can now talk after agonizing pain says that she wants to be released to go to class and learn with others.
Meanwhile, the family has expressed concern over the laxity with which authorities were carrying out investigations in the incident.
For instance, the vehicle that caused the accident and which had been impounded by the police has already been released.
However, Bungoma OCPD Wilson Nanga said the family should be patient as investigations are underway with a view of charging the driver, adding that the main challenge in the case is that the family had no witnesses.
He also said that the county vehicle was released after inspection by NTSA and they had all the required data with them.
By Timothy Wekesa and Roseland Lumwamu
