The boy was crushed to death by the school bus when he tried to retrieve his bag and water bottle which fell through a hole in floor of the bus/FILE
MOMBASA, Kenya, Jul 24 – Five people including the principal of St Augustine Preparatory School in Mombasa are due to face charges Monday over last week’s death of a six-year-old boy.
Mombasa Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Alexander Muteti said they had already received the investigation file from the police and had preferred charges.
The boy was crushed to death by the school bus when he tried to retrieve his bag and water bottle which fell through a hole in floor of the bus.
Police reports said the hole was intentionally concealed with a cardboard clearly indicating that the school management was aware of the impending risks.
A parent at the St Augustine’s School who spoke to Capital FM News soon after the accident said: “My child is safe but this does not mean that I have not been affected. Another parent’s child is also my child. So this incident has affected me, I am shocked and hurt,” he said.
The parent described the accident as a result of negligence and urged the Education Ministry to take action against the school for carelessness.
Last month, Members of Parliament passed the Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2016 which requires all school buses to be painted yellow with institution names written in black and have other signage as may be prescribed, in a wide range of changes aimed at enhancing safety.
According to the Bill, a motor vehicle designated to transport children to or from school, or for any non-school related activity, when they are in a group, shall be fitted with safety belts designed to be used by children.
The speed limit of all vehicles approaching learning institutions has been fixed at 50km per hour.
School buses will be barred from operating between 10pm and 5am.
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