Chaos erupt as two are killed, others injured in Kisii lorry accident

Gusii Institute of Technology students on Thursday evening engaged police in running battles after a lorry ferrying electricity poles lost control and caused an accident killing two people outside their college.

The two died after the poles fell on them. Two more people were injured and rushed to Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital for treatment.

The chaos involving police and angry students and locals ensued soon after the 7pm incident resulting in the injury of two journalists who were roughed up by police.

Nation photojournalist Benson Momanyi suffered injuries on his arm after being roughed up by police and his camera lenses broken during the running battles.

Standard Newspaper photojournalists Dennish Ochieng' was also injured and suffered serious mouth injuries after his teeth were knocked off. They were both treated at Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital.

The chaos rendered the Kisii-Keroka highway temporarily impassable after the angry locals set ablaze the lorry.

Police, however, arrived right on time to save the lorry's driver who was said to be a police officer.

They were forced to shoot in the air to scare away the rowdy mob before dramatically collecting the two bodies of the deceased loading them in their vehicle and taking off within seconds.

An eye witness Mr Fred Machuki said the driver lost control of the vehicle after hitting a ditch and swerved on the right. The accident occurred between 7pm and 7.30 pm.

The dead and the injured had rushed to the left to avoid being hit by the lorry but the poles fell off landing on them. The two women died on the spot while the injured were rushed to hospital. It was not confirmed whether they were students at the college.

Medical Superintendent Kisii and Teaching and Referral Hospital Mr Enock Ondari confirmed that two persons who were injured in the accident suffered minor injuries and were treated at the hospital and discharged

County Commander Simon Kiragu confirmed the incident and promised that he would launch investigations into the attack on journalists by police.

Mr Momanyi later said even though he was treated, he was still in pain.

"I have been given pain killers to ease the pain," he said. "My colleague Dennish, who had a cut on his mouth, has also received treatment," he said.