A 45-year-old driver of a Public Service Vehicle was on Monday arraigned in a Nakuru Law Court to face charges of causing death among other counts.
The court under the precision of Chief Resident Magistrate Felix Kombo heard that on February 19 this year, along Nakuru-Narok road at around 1pm, the accused Duncan Kihoro while dangerously driving a defective PSV caused an accident thereby leading to the death of five people who died on the spot while seven others sustained serious injuries.
The prosecution desk also said that the accused caused damages to personal property which included the PSV vehicle that belonged to one John Nderitu, a personal salon car that belonged to one Evans Mwangi and a lorry that belonged to one Walter Birir.
According to the prosecution, the accused was driving towards Nakuru at a speed of 120 per km and the vehicle he was driving did not have a recommended speed governor.
The desk added that the accused tried to overtake a lorry that was ferrying charcoal but failed to communicate communicate intentions of his move since the PSV did not have an indicator.
The court was also told that the PSV driver dived out of the vehicle and landed in a ditch on the edge of the road when the PSV vehicle got involved in a head on collision with an oncoming salon car whose driver died on the spot with its passenger sustaining serious injuries.
The court further heard that the lorry hit the PSV from behind and caused the death of four passengers while its driver and conductor sustained serious injuries.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the offences and was released on a cash bond of Sh200,000.
Meanwhile, a 47 –year- old man was also arraigned court to face fraud and false pretence charges.
Appearing before Chief Resident Magistrate James Mwaniki, John Moturi denied that on diverse dates of January 9, in Nakuru town with an intention to defraud, obtained Sh50,000 from one Charles Gitonga after pretending that he was the rightful proprietor of an office space along Nakuru-Nairobi highway.
The prosecution desk heard that the accused with others who were not before court had carried out an advertisement campaign for an office space building before they were approached by the complainant.
The accused the court was told had instructed the complainant to pay a rental fee of Sh10,000 plus a four month deposit before occupying the office space building.
The accused upon receiving the money through his mobile phone, went missing and failed to hand over the buildings keys. He was arrested in Naivasha on February 17 this year after a prolonged police investigation.
He however denied the accusations and was released on a cash bail of Sh90,000.
The two cases will be heard again on March 17.