Owner of the tragic bus accident arraigned in court

Kericho bus accident

On Wednesday Kenyans woke up to the tragic accident that occured in Fort Tanen killing over 50 people.

Cleophas Shimanyula, the owner of the bus and his manger Benard Shitiabayi were arraigned court on Thursday appearing before a magistrate’s court in Molo but did not take plea after police requested to detain them in order to complete investigation.

According to Chief Inspector Festus Ondieki asked Senior Resident Magistrate Samuel Wahome to allow police to hold the suspects at Londiani Police Station in Kericho.

The application was objected by the suspects’ lawyers who said it violated his client’s constitutional right to freedom.

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According to their lawyer Ken Ochieng, “Despite sympathising with the bereaved families, my clients just like any other suspects have a right which cannot be carried with emotions.”

The magistrate deferred the ruling on the application to Friday saying that he needed time to go through the submissions by both parties.

However the magistrate ordered the suspects be detained at Londiani Police Station pending the ruling.

In the Wednesday dawn crash, 56 passengers lost their lives and 15 others were seriously injured when the bus which was traveling from Nairobi to Kisumu veered off the road and landed on a rocky farm in Fort Ternan,

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The two suspects were arrested on Wednesday evening after it emerged that the crash was as a result of dangerous driving and flouting of traffic regulations.
Kericho police boss James Mogera said the registration status of the bus could not be found on the NTSA website.

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