A six-year-old girl died in Kakamega County on Thursday evening after what residents describe as a rotten electricity pole toppled over and fell on her as she played with other children, in an incident that has renewed concern over the state of ageing power infrastructure in parts of the county.
The incident occurred in Shitungu village, Murumba sub-location, within East Butsotso location in Kakamega Central sub-county. According to accounts from the scene, the girl was playing outdoors with a group of other children when the pole came down without warning. The other children playing nearby are said to have escaped unharmed.
A domestic worker at a nearby residence is reported to have raised the alarm after hearing a loud noise, prompting neighbours to rush to the scene, where the child was found trapped beneath the fallen structure. Police officers who responded documented the scene before the body was moved to Kakamega County Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary, where it is expected to undergo a post-mortem examination.
Investigators are said to be looking into what caused the pole to give way, with suspected electrocution not ruled out as a contributing factor, though this has not been officially confirmed. A team from the power utility is reported to have attended the scene as part of the response.
The tragedy adds to a string of recent incidents in different parts of the country blamed on ageing or poorly maintained electricity infrastructure, and is likely to add pressure on the utility to accelerate inspection and replacement of old poles in residential areas, particularly those bordering common play spaces for children. No official statement had been issued on the matter as of the time of publication, and further details are expected once investigations and the post-mortem are complete.