MP to be brought to court over pupil’s death: police

 Police are holding Manyoni East MP Daniel Mtuka, 51, for allegedly driving recklessly and killing Sukamahela Primary School’s Standard One pupil, Salome Paschal, 10.

Singida Regional Police Commander Debora Magilingimba said the accident occurred on August 10 at Sukamahela Village in Manyoni District when the legislator was travelling from Dodoma to his constituency. Mr Mtuka’s vehicle hit the girl who was crossing the road.

Ms Magilingimba said the lawmaker in police custody.

She said preliminary investigations had shown that Mr Mtuka violated traffic regulations.

“We are questioning him and later we will take him to court to answer charges. The body of the deceased pupil is preserved at Manyoni District Hospital. After the postmortem it will be handed over to relatives for burial.’’

Meanwhile, Singida Regional Police Commander Debora Magilingimba said Ngara district education officer Alfred Kafuku and his driver whose name could not be immediately known died on the spot after the vehicle in which they were travelling rammed into a truck.

Until yesterday their bodies were being preserved at Manyoni District Hospital.

The accident happened on August 10 at Muhalala Village in Manyoni District when the ill-fated vehicle hit the truck, which was being driven by Omar Masoud, 39, a resident of Dar es Salaam.

She said preliminary investigation, the driver of the vehicle that hit the truck was driving at a higher than the recommended speed and did not take precautions on the road.