By Johnson Chengo
A grade four pupil in Ganze Constituency, Kilifi County was Wednesday electrocuted by a falling electricity pole.
The twelve-year-old Kennedy Kalume Iha of Bamba Primary School was returning home from school when the incident happened.
He is receiving treatment at Kilifi County Referral Hospital after the 4:30 pm incident, the family said.
According to his father Karisa Iha, said the boy mate the incident with his friends when they were returning home from school.
“The electricity poll was almost falling for some months and the live wires were loosely hanging. When they reached the area of the scene his friends spotted the poll falling, they shouted but the boy run towards the direction of the falling poll. He was electrocuted badly on his left hand and some parts of his body,” said an eyewitness who sought anonymity.
Police said they were called and Informed of the incident where they rushed to the scene and picked up the boy at Bamba health centre where he was referred to Kilifi County Referral Hospital.
Iha said his child was bright but fears his performance would deteriorate due to the electrocution injuries.
“It is very painful to me as a parent. Kennedy was a pupil who had consistent results in his performance, it’s almost a week now he has missed classes, and this situation will affect him negatively,” said Iha.
He said officers from the Kenya Power Lighting(KPLC) Mariakani branch have not communicated despite being informed of the incident.
“Am calling upon the government to take action against KPLC for justice to prevail because since the accident happened they have remained silent.
Kilifi County Referral Hospital paediatrician doctor Charles Chasaro said the condition of the child is recuperating well since he was admitted.
He said 20 per cent of his body was burnt.
“We received the child when he was in a bad situation. He was not able to talk but now he has improved, he can now respond to questions,” said Chasaro.
