How trip to visit sick aunt became deadly journey for 14 family members

In early August, 29-year-old Pauline Muthoni summoned her sisters and cousins in a WhatsApp group to organise a visit to their ailing aunt in Solai, Rongai sub-county in Nakuru County.

Muthoni, the youngest daughter of Mzee Elijah Maina, successfully convinced her relatives—drawn from four families—to embrace the idea of visiting their aunt.

Seventeen family members from Murang'a, Nairobi, and Naivasha planned to make the trip.

However, what started as a noble cause turned tragic when the vehicle they were travelling in  collided head-on with a trailer at Kariandusi along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.

The accident occurred on September 28 while the family was on their way to Solai, resulting in 14 fatalities and three injuries, leaving the family devastated.

Yesterday, Patrick Muiru, a relative, tearfully recounted the loss of his father, Mburu, 80, his mother, Lidya Njeri, and four of his sisters, including Muthoni, Catherine Njambi, and twins Loice Wambui and Naomi Wangui.

“I also lost my nephew, Elijah Mburu, who was the driver, along with my aunties,” said Muiru.

Muiru expressed his heartbreak at St. Joseph Hospital, where he had gone to visit his surviving nephew.

He recalled receiving a call on Sunday evening, asking him to gather his sisters' children in one place.

When he inquired about what had happened, he learned that his family had not made it to Nakuru and that they had all perished in the accident.

“I had five sisters; now I have one. I no longer have my parents. I am devastated,” he said. Muiru added that he was deeply upset because his family had been happy, and their lives were tragically cut short.

“My grandfather had four wives, and it was my sister’s plan for the extended family to get to know each other, but she perished before accomplishing her goal,” he cried.

He mentioned that his nephew, who was the driver, also had children who now had no one to care for them after losing their father.

Stephen Gicharu shared his sorrow, explaining that he lost his wife, daughter, and several other relatives.

Thankfully, his nine-year-old son survived but is in critical condition.

Gicharu said that he was in Tanzania when he saw on social media that an accident had occurred along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.

“It was hard to make a call in Tanzania, but through WhatsApp, I spoke to my wife, who was picked up in Naivasha at around 10 AM. We agreed that I would send her some money to buy sweets for the kids,” he recalled.

Knowing his family was on that road, Gicharu attempted to call his wife again but could not reach her. He also tried contacting relatives, but their phones were off.

Deciding not to presume the worst, he drove the company vehicle and crossed the border.

Around 9 PM, he received another call, informing him that all his family members had perished. He broke down at that news.

“I travelled the same day and arrived in Nakuru, where fortunately, I found my son alive.

However, I have lost my daughter and wife,” he said, filled with grief. Gicharu prayed to God to heal the survivors, hoping the family would not lose everyone who had traveled.

He mentioned that his aunt had not yet been informed that 14 people had died.

“She cooked for them, and a tent was set up to welcome them home, but as of now, we are unsure whether to tell her what happened. We only informed her that they survived an accident and were in the hospital,” he explained.

Jecinta Nyagethe, Gicharu’s sister-in-law, said he called her on Sunday night at 11 PM, crying and unsure of what to do after losing his close family members.

She shared that her sister died along with one of the children, while her nephew, who survived, was nursing a head injury.

She called on well-wishers to assist the family during this difficult time of mourning, burial planning, and despair. Virginia Wanjiru, who owned the Matatu, described the driver as a good person who did not drink or smoke.

“I have known Mburu since 2020, when I hired him to drive the vehicle. What happened was tragic because he had been driving along that road for years,” she said.

Juakali Vahavuka, the driver of the trailer, spoke up, recounting that he saw two vehicles approaching, with one that was overtaking coming at high speed.

Despite honking and applying the brakes, he said it was too late, and the Matatu collided with the trailer on the right side of its tyre. After the collision, the trailer driver lost control, resulting in severe injuries to his right arm and chest, before both vehicles veered off the road.