This archive report was first published on 20 September 2019.
On March 17, a devastating incident occurred in Shinyalu, Kakamega East Sub County, resulting in the tragic death of three-year-old Valarie Muruka. The incident was linked to the extraction of rocks using explosives by Ben Mutuka and three others.
According to court documents, the group was drilling rocks at Mboya's compound when the explosion occurred, hitting Muruka who was playing with her peers 20 meters away. The child's mother, Jackline Bukhala, found her daughter bleeding from the head and later succumbed to her injuries.
Ben Mutuka was arrested earlier this week after being on the run since the incident. When he appeared before Kakamega Senior Principal Magistrate Hazel Wandere, he denied the charges of manslaughter. He was granted a Sh100,000 bond with a surety of similar amount without an alternative of cash bail.
The matter is set to be heard on November 4.
