A tragic road accident at Kikopey on Sunday has left a family from Murang’a grappling with an unimaginable loss. Ten of their relatives, including grandparents, daughters, a nephew, and an uncle, were killed in the horrific crash. The family was traveling to Nakuru for a visit when their 14-seater matatu collided head-on with a trailer along the busy Nakuru-Nairobi highway.
The matatu, carrying 17 family members, was making its way to Nakuru when the tragedy occurred. The trip, which was meant to bring together relatives for a joyful reunion and to visit ailing family members, turned into a nightmare. The vehicle’s driver, Elijah Mburu, who was also a grandson of the bereaved family, was among the victims. Three relatives survived the crash, but they are now fighting for their lives in hospital.
One family member, Rodovic Gikonyo, narrowly escaped the tragedy. He had been scheduled to join the ill-fated trip, but a last-minute emergency concerning his daughter’s education kept him behind. “Had it not been for that emergency, we too would have been in that vehicle,” he said, reflecting on his close call.
The crash has also devastated another family. Steven Gicharu lost both his wife and daughter, while his four-year-old son remains in critical condition in the hospital. The pain is unimaginable for all those involved, as they process the devastating loss of their loved ones.
In the town of Kandara, Murang’a, the families and friends are struggling to come to terms with the scale of the tragedy. In Rongai, Nakuru, where the family was expected, preparations for the reunion remain untouched. The food and chairs that were meant to welcome them now stand as painful reminders of the family’s lost joy.
The driver of the trailer, Juakali Vahavuka, expressed his sorrow and said he attempted to avoid the matatu, but it appeared to be traveling at high speed. “I tried to swerve, but the matatu hit me,” he recalled.
The bodies of the deceased are currently being held at Nakuru PGH mortuary as the families begin to prepare for the painful burial arrangements. The communities in Murang’a and Nakuru have come together in shared grief, praying for the survivors’ recovery and mourning the nearly complete loss of a family.
