Kenya: Kaburengu Tragedy - Family Still Coming to Terms With Losing Five in One Day

A family at Ebwali village in Luanda, Vihiga County, is struggling to come to terms with the death of five relatives who all perished in a grisly accident at Kaburengu Bridge along the Eldoret-Webuye highway on Saturday.

The five - Richard Osimbo and his wife Rebecca, John Atsiaya, Rosebella Kefa and Martin Olenja - were travelling to Kitale to attend a relative's dowry negotiation ceremony. The tragic crash killed them on the spot, along with the driver of the Probox vehicle they were in.

The victims were also burnt beyond recognition in the grisly accident.

Gathered at the home of Mr Atsiaya on Sunday evening, the grief-stricken family says it heard of the tragedy through the media. By that point, the relatives say, phone communication between them and their loved ones had been cut off.

Mr Kevin Nganyi, who lost his mother Rosebella and paternal uncle Richard Osimbo, says he is still struggling to come to terms with the loss more than 24 hours later.

"I saw it in the news even before we got to learn that it is our very own people who were involved in the accident," he said.

A few metres away, Ms Hellen Nyambaka, who lost her husband John Atsiaya, recalls her last moments with him when she prepared breakfast before the journey to Kitale.

"I prayed for him and told him he looked smart in his suit. He then left and I remained at home because I had a wedding to attend," she said.

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The family is now calling for support from the government and their local community, saying the loss is too heavy a heavy burden for them to bear.

Multiple collision

The six were killed and several others injured when multiple vehicles, including a fuel tanker, a lorry, a saloon car, a Probox car and a pick up, collided.

All the six fatalities were from the Probox car which was heading to Malava from Eldoret.

Police in Bungoma said the driver of the lorry lost control of the vehicle and hit a saloon car which burst into flames before landing on the banks of River Nzoia.

The saloon car rammed into a pick-up before it hit the Probox, police say.

The bodies were moved to Vihiga County Referral Hospital mortuary in Mbale on Sunday evening.

The family will have to wait for DNA tests to identify the bodies ahead of burial.