The Kenya Power and Lighting Company has come under intense criticism following the death by electrocution of a 10-year-old boy, Johnston Mlongo on Sunday. Photo/CASPER WAITHAKA
A 10-year-old boy was electrocuted on Sunday when he touched a dangling power line in Utawala Estate in Nairobi.
According Mr Eric Mlongo Owino, his son left home as usual for Sunday school with two of his friends. “I gave him money to give as offering. I remember asking him to wear open shoes because it was a sunny morning,” he added.
The devastated father told the Nation that he was called 20 minutes later to be given the bad news. “This is simply unbelievable,” he said. “I was in church yesterday (Saturday) for the baptism of his youngest brother and passed this same road.”
He gave the name of his son as Johnston Mlongo, who was a Class Three pupil at El-Shaddai Academy. Mr Mlongo said he had taken photographs of his three children on Sunday morning.
Johnston’s mother and his two friends, who were with him at the time of the tragedy, were still in shock as the boy’s body lay next to the road with the hand still clinging to the power line.
Area residents said the high voltage line has been lying on the ground since Friday and despite numerous calls to the Kenya Power and Lighting Company, no action had been taken.
Scene of crime
“I saw the danger the power line presented and I called the electricity company on Friday evening and on Saturday,” said Mr Sam Mogire, a resident. The body lay for hours on the scene as family waited for scene of crime police to come and collect the body.
Mr Mlongo said he would take legal action against the company for what he termed as negligence. KPLC workers who arrived at the scene later were booed by angry residents
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