• Neighbours said Quinto Omutoto had been slashing grass and was resting when the lightning bolt struck him. He died on the spot.
• Omutoto’s body was taken to the Kocholya Level Four Hospital mortuary.
A man was struck dead by lightning on Tuesday evening near his mother’s grave in Aleles village, Amagoro location in Teso North subcounty.
Neighbours said Quinto Omutoto had been slashing grass and was resting when the lightning bolt struck him. He died on the spot.
Omutoto’s body was taken to the Kocholya Level Four Hospital mortuary.
Omutoto’s home is about six kilometres from Korisai Primary School where lightning killed seven pupils 10 years ago.
Busia county disaster management department acting director Joseph Ekisa told the Star lightning arrestors will be installed in Korisai village before the end of the year.
“Valuation has already been done and we expect contractors on the site in December,” he said on the phone.
“By January or February 2021, the arrestors will be functional.”
He said similar projects will cover Angurai South and part of Angurai East wards where lightning strikes are common.
Korisai also neighbours Angurai South ward where lightning claimed the life of one student and injured two others in April.
Another lightning strike killed three family members in the same ward in December 2018.
The incident happened less than eight months after lightning struck three students — cousins — in a span of two weeks in Teso North.
On April 26, Zola Otulia, an electrical engineering student at Kisii Polytechnic, was returning home from shopping when she was struck and injured. The incident occurred seven days after her two cousins were hit by lightning in their grandfather’s house.
Constant Ekapel, who was a Form 3 student at Aboloi Secondary School, died on the spot but his cousin Dolphin Emojong survived with injuries.
In December 2018, lightning killed three family members in Kakapel village in Ang’urai South ward while in July 2019, another strike injured a couple in Rwatama village.
In September last year, three people were injured when lightning struck a football pitch at Kakapel Primary School during a match.