Family mourns 9 members killed in Webuye horror crash

A family in Vihiga county is mourning the deaths of nine members killed in Monday night’s (December 11) road crash in Bungoma along the Webuye-Kitale road.

Wycliffe Kegode narrated to our crew how both he and his brother lost wives and two children each alongside a brother and his two children as well. A family’s loss that highlights just how dangerous and perilous Kenyan roads have become.

The nine were wiped out in a split second accident at the Kamukuywa Bridge on the Webuye-Kitale highway, where a tractor had overturned after hitting a lorry which rolled down the slopes to the river, killing both driver and turnboy.

A happy occasion ended in a tragedy for this family and village where several women had boarded a hired PSV to visit their daughter married in Matunda, Kitale.

“All family members, members of the church, neighbours tulikuwa tumeenda pamoja. So we proceeded and finished the sherehe salama, by 6pm tukawa tunarudi,” recounted Kegode, who was in a separate car with his brother leading the entourage.

“My brother was driving, nikashtukia ameshika break na akaswerve,” added Kegode. 

As soon as they recovered from the shock of escaping death narrowly, they started to call their kin in the car behind.

“Nikapigia brother yangu, hakushika, nikapigia wife, hakushika, my daughter pia hakushika. Everybody hakupick simu, tukafikiria labda ni network. Tukaendelea kwenda polepole tukijua wanatufuata,” said Kegode.

Unfortunately, they were a tad too late. The car behind them had already crashed into the overturned tractor. A pastor at home, informed of the tragedy by authorities at the scene of accident broke the news to the two brothers who were still heading home.

“Tukaenda mortuary, ule wa kwanza ni my brother, my sister Joyce, hakuna mtu ako na nguo, kijana ya my brother amekatika, kichwa pale, miguu pale, gari ilikuwa bado inateremshwa, nikaona my son, tulikuwa na George, tukaidentify pia bibi yake na daughter yake, na wamama wengine majirani. Tukiwa casualty, tukakuta kijana yake ndio saa hiyo amekufa, my daughter alikuwa na deep cut kwa forehead,” Kegode went on.

“Nakwambia, I had a hard time, tumeingia hapa saa kumi na moja asubuhi, ni watu tumekula nao lunch, my sister wa like my mum, nilisikia niko chini sana, my daughter who is at KMTC was to graduate in July, my wife was keeping this boma, my boy, we were waiting for results.”

 A family thrown into a sea of anguish, epitomizing the pain of families who have lost kin on Kenya’s treacherous roads. At least 10 other families lost their loved ones in the Webuye accident that involved 5 cars; the tractor carrying cane, the lorry carrying maize, the matatu, another nissan and salon car, both headed to kitale from webuye.

Question remains, how much longer will Kenya’s killer roads continue to claim lives?