Owner, manager of killer bus detained amid probe

Molo court has detained for 10 days the owner and sacco manager of the Home Boyz bus that crashed on Wednesday at Fort Ternan, Kericho killing 56 people.

On Friday, the Molo Chief Magistrate Samuel Wahome said the time sought by the investigating officer, Mr Festus Ondieki, to conclude the investigation is reasonable.

In his application to detain the duo, Mr Ondieko said he wanted to reach out to the bereaved families for assistance in identification of bodies, filling of P-3 forms, obtain post-mortem results and get details from various transport offices, including that of the National Transport and Safety Authority.

The two, Mr Cleophas Simanyula and Bernard Ishindu, will be produced before the Molo court on October 22.

The Home Boyz bus crashed at Fort Ternan in Kericho County on Wednesday, killing 56 people and injuring several others.

MASS SERVICE

Meanwhile, the Kakamega County government is organising a mass service for the victims.

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said the county will also arrange for transfer of the survivors who are receiving treatment at Kericho County Referral Hospital to Kakamega to shorten the distance relatives are travelling to visit them.

Mr Oparanya and his Kericho counterpart Paul Chepkwony visited the casualties of the bus crash at Kericho Hospital.

“I would like to say sorry for the unfortunate incident that claimed so many lives at Fort Ternan. We have already set up a committee to deal with burial arrangements,” said Mr Oparanya.

The bus was travelling from Nairobi to Kakamega via Kisumu.

Nine of 15 casualties continue to receive medication at the Kericho hospital while others have been referred to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.