Tragedy: Search for Nakuru killer motorist on

Relatives of the three children who died after they were hit by a motorist at Maili Kumi in Bahati, Nakuru speak to the Press yesterday. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Police are still looking for a motorist who veered off the road, ran over three siblings aged between 6 and 15 in Nakuru and disappeared on Saturday night.

Bahati OCPD Edward Wafula told The Standard that the motorist and other occupants of the car went into hiding after the Maili Kumi crash.

“The car is at Bahati Police Station and we have liaised with officers from The National Transport and Safety Authority for inspection of the vehicle as we pursue the suspects,” he said.

Among the dead was Brian Nderitu, 15, who had gone to the trading centre to meet his father for a pep talk before his initiation ceremony to be done yesterday. Nderitu attended Jacaranda Primary School and scored 391 marks in this year’s KCPE.

He was with his 13-year-old sister Ruth Wanjiru and brother Anthony Njenga, 6, who wanted a haircut at the Maili Kumi trading centre.

Wreckage of vehicle at Bahati Police Station. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Jovial mood

 “They were jovial as they left to meet their father whom they had not seen for a while. Nderitu had spent the day preparing his room. I bid them goodbye at 4pm as they promised to return as soon as they were through,” said their mother Jacinta Njeri.

The mother of five grew impatient after they delayed and went out to check. She left her house at around 8pm and met neighbours discussing a tragic road accident involving some children.

“I didn’t know whose children they were talking about, but my instincts told me that they could be mine,” a teary Njeri said.

Minutes later a message reached her that she was needed at Bahati Sub County Hospital where the trio were admitted following an accident.

 “I learnt that Nderitu died on the spot but Wanjiru and Njenga were being attended to and were badly injured,” she said. The two survivors were rushed to the Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital where they succumbed to the injuries on Sunday. According to a resident, the accident occurred a few minutes past 7pm after a male driver of the personal car registration number KBA 819Z lost control crushing into the trio.

“The car veered off the road and rolled several times. The children were walking along the same road and the car landed on them,” said Dennis Ndung’u, a resident.