Alarm over road carnage as family killed in Salama are buried

Thursday, April 18th, 2024 01:45 | By

Seven family members who died in the Salama accident on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway were given an emotional send-off at Karirikania in Kuresoi North, Nakuru county on Tuesday. PHOTO/Raphael Munge

Concerns over road carnage were raised during the burial of seven family members who died in an accident on Mombasa Road.

The seven were laid to rest at their home in Nyota village of Kuresoi North, Nakuru county on Tuesday, in an emotional send-off attended by local leaders led by Governor Susan Kihika and area MP Alfred Mutai.

They perished when the 14-seater matatu they were traveling in was involved in a collision with a trailer in Salama area along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.

Among the dead was 61-year-old clergy Reverend Francis Mwangi, his sister-in-law Irene Muthoni, her three children Lemmy Macharia (12), Joyce Muthoni (7), Joyce Wairimu (2) and two nieces Esther Nyambura (14), Esther Wanjiru (8).

Speaking during a burial service at Karirikania Primary School grounds, mourners among them road safety officials and political leaders raised their concerns over the loss of lives in road crashes.

Governor Kirika said the pain was too much to bear for the family and community at large and pledged county jobs for two of the surviving children of the bereaved, to help support their relatives. “This is unbearable and overwhelming. If losing one member of a family is a difficult situation, can you imagine losing seven members? We pray that God gives you the strength and courage to overcome this loss,” said the Governor.

Road Safety Association of Kenya Chairman David Kiarie and his Speed Governors and Road Safety Association counterpart Edward Gitonga said the road carnage has turned out to be a national disaster and drastic measures must be taken to check the trend.

Kiarie charged that the CS has failed in his docket and has no choice but to resign or be relieved of his duties by the President.

“It is even surprising that during the burial of these seven family members who died in an accident, the CS cannot attend or send representatives, but when one person dies in an aeroplane crash he rushes to the scene,” said the official.

Gitonga on his part opposed a move by Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to replace speed limiters with cameras and telematic gadgets which they said will do nothing to reverse the road carnage.