By The Weekly Vision
Residents of Chwele market in Kabuchai Constituency, Bungoma County yesterday reacted angrily at the police after three people died on the spot while one was left nursing serious injuries through a fatal road accident. The fourth person died while receiving medication at Chwele Sub-County Hospital. The fatal accident happened after a fast-moving police land cruiser engaged a motorist in a road chase, the motorist was suspected of transporting illicit brew. The motorist was heading to Kimilili from Chwele and in the process, the rider collided head-on with another motorcyclist from the opposite direction that had a female pillion.
An eye witness Abiud Wekesa claimed that the accident happened when one of the riders who was also involved in the accident escaped the police land cruiser that was chasing him while carrying illicit brew. Wekesa condemned the act saying that the work of the police is to protect public property and the lives of the people and it will be very pathetic if they are the ones causing deaths.
“We are very annoyed with this act where the police have caused the deaths of our people, I appeal to the relevant authorities to swing into action, do investigations and bring the culprits to book,” he said. Wekesa further added that Chwele residents will stage protests at the police station to ensure that rogue officers are removed from the police station. “As the businessmen at Chwele market, we are saddened by the accident, the lives of our innocent people caused by the police land cruiser and we have decided that this case cannot be handled by officers from here,” he said.
In addition, Wekesa called on the Bungoma County police commander, area MP, MCA and Bungoma County Commissioner and the relevant authorities to move with speed and investigate the matter. In his address, Mukuyuni MCA Meshack Museveni condemned the incident saying that it was an act of recklessness from the police.
“The work of the police is not to chase those carrying illicit brew but instead is to protect people and their wealth,” Museveni stated. The area MCA told the press that the officer who was driving the fast-moving police vehicle that caused an accident has overstayed at the Chwele station for over 6 years asking the OCS and the OCPD to transfer him. The bodies were picked by the police officers and taken to Bungoma County referral mortuary awaiting autopsy.
