Mai Mahiu residents recount tragic event that led to loss of 50 lives

The events of Monday morning will always remain a dark chapter in the minds of Mai Mahiu residents in Naivasha, following the tragic flash floods that claimed over 50 lives with the whereabouts of dozens of others still remaining a mystery.

The tragedy that shook the whole nation drawing the attention of the top leadership in the country was unprecedented, but for the residents who survived the ordeal are now pointing an accusing finger at the government for failing to act in time to avert the whole situation.

Three days after the catastrophic accident, 23 victims of the Mai Mahiu tragedy continue to recuperate at the Naivasha Sub County Hospital with one more referred to the Nakuru County Refferal hospital for specialised treatment.

Mary Muthoni, speaking from her hospital bed in Naivasha is still visibly shaken and terrified by the happenings of the wee hours of Monday.

She narrates how the events happened leading to the tragic loss of eight of her family members.

According to Muthoni, her extended family had gathered at her home on Sunday evening to raise money for the release of her son who is incarcerated at the Naivasha remand prison.

Loud sounds

However, the visitors opted to spend the night there but little did they know what was awaiting them.

While praying at 3am as is her routine, the elderly Muthoni was alarmed by loud noises before one of the children came calling after hearing loud sounds, only for it to be a little bit too late to act.

The raging waters that had gathered momentum upstream sweeping huge trees and rocks along the way, washed away three of her houses in the homestead downstream as she struggled to stay alive.

She managed to swim to safety by holding onto a floating log before members of the community came to her aide and rushed her to hospital.

Muthoni breaks down in the middle of the interview while narrating how she learnt of the death of six of her grandchildren, daughter and daughter in-law, terming it as double tragedy to the family.

Peter Waweru, a resident of Ruiru village in Mai Mahiu tells the sad tale of how he lost his two children and wife as a result of flush floods, robbing him off everything he had worked for his entire life.

Waweru who was asleep together with his family when the waters struck was caught by surprise as the house was already flooded by the time he was waking up, only for the house to cave in before he could escape rendering him unconscious.

Waweru was swept downstream for over two kilometres and was only rescued at 6am when operations began.

The teary Waweru who is nursing a broken leg and injured waist is devastated after losing everyone in his nuclear family not knowing what the future holds without the people he held so dear.

Impending danger

Before the tragedy, the resident says that different churches in Mkorea, Ruiru and KaMuchiri villages had been warned of impending danger, but laments that they have nowhere else to move to without the help of the government.

President Willam Ruto on Tuesday while visiting the affected families at Ngeya Girls Secondary school that has been turned into a command centre and temporary shelter for the victims, he directed that all people living in riparian land and other areas at risk of flooding to evacuate within 48 hours to avert any possible tragedy as the country expects to receive intensified rainfall.