Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi has called on school administrators to prioritise learners' safety by ensuring they travel in roadworthy school buses following the fatal Hebesha Academy crash that claimed the lives of two pupils in Tigania East.
Speaking a day after the accident, Kathuri urged school heads to avoid using unsafe vehicles to transport learners during the holiday period, when many schools organise educational and recreational trips.
"We are aware that many schools organise trips after closing for the holidays. I appeal to school administrators to ensure learners are not transported in accident-prone vehicles," the senator said.
He advised schools without their own buses to hire roadworthy buses from neighbouring learning institutions instead of relying on private means of transport.
"If your school does not have a bus, hire one from a neighbouring school. We want all our learners to spend this holiday safely because some are preparing to sit their national examinations," Kathuri said.
His remarks follow after an accident at Ngumba along the Mikinduri-Kunati-Gatithine Road in Thangatha Ward, where two Hebesha Academy pupils died and several others sustained serious injuries.
Mikinduri Police confirmed the two deaths and said the injured learners were rushed to various hospitals for treatment as investigations into the cause of the accident continue.
The bus involved in the accident is reported to belong to politician Mugambi Imanyara, although authorities have not linked the ownership of the vehicle to the cause of the crash.
Governor Isaac Mutuma M'Ethingia described the incident as a devastating tragedy, conveying his condolences to the bereaved families and the entire Hebesha Academy community.
"No words can truly ease the pain of losing such young and promising lives. These children were a priceless gift from God, full of dreams, hope and unlimited potential," the governor said in a condolence message.
He also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured learners and assured the affected families of the county government's support.
