At a compound in Mikomani village, Rabai Sub-County, four large white tents stretched across the yard to shelter a steady stream of weeping mourners. But in the main house, an elderly man sat in silence, staring pensively at an untouched plate of food.
Tears welled in the eyes of Mr Mwatsuya Mutsunga as he struggled to process an unthinkable reality. In a single instant, four members of his immediate family had been killed on the Mombasa–Nairobi Highway.
“Whom do I mourn first?” Mr Mutsunga asked softly, his voice trembling under the heavy burden of grief.
“My son? My eldest brother? His wife? Or their child who is also my blood? How do you even begin to mourn? And after the tears dry, what do I tell those left behind as an elder of this home?” he asked.
An earlier photo of Younitta Mutsunga, one of the victims of the Mtito Andei accident. She died alongside her husband, Dr Patrick Mutsunga, and two other family members from Rabai in Kilifi County.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation
His household has borne the brunt of the pain gripping the Coast region following the horrific Sunday morning collision at Kanga, near Mtito Andei. A bus carrying about 50 passengers, including over a dozen pastors and church members, rammed into a heavy cargo truck while returning to Mombasa from a burial in Lugari, Kakamega County.
The disaster claimed 24 lives. Among them were Mr Mutsunga’s eldest brother, Dr Patrick Mutsunga; Patrick’s wife, Younitta Mutsunga; their child, Ndune Mutsunga; and Mr Mutsunga’s own son, Moses Mwadzuya.
For Mr Mutsunga, time seemed to freeze on Sunday evening as wave after wave of tragic news reached his doorstep.
“I got the first call around 7 pm. Initially, they told us my elder brother had died on the spot, and his wife had passed away while receiving treatment at the hospital in Makueni. The other two were listed as yet to be identified,” he recalled.
Before the family could digest the initial blow, the local assistant chief arrived with even more devastating confirmation. The bodies of Ndune and Moses had also been identified at the scene.
“We were completely shattered. Just a month ago, my son Moses had left the village for Mombasa to help his wife seek medical attention. And now he is gone, leaving behind a widow and three school-going children,” Mr Mutsunga told Nation .
His eldest brother, Dr Patrick, was described as the bedrock of the family. A retired health professional, he ran a private dispensary and a private school in Kwale County alongside his wife, Younitta.
“He called me last Wednesday to inform me about the journey to lay his brother-in-law, Bishop Isaiah Giganene, to rest,” Mr Mutsunga said.
“I never imagined it would be the last time I would hear his voice. Now, a massive load has been left on my shoulders to take care of those left behind,” he added.
As news spread across Rabai, villagers abandoned their daily routines to erect tents and sit with the grieving patriarch. Mourners walked from tent to tent, comforting the family.
Mwatsuya Mutsunga (left), the younger brother of Dr Patrick Mutsunga, one of the victims of the Mtito Andei accident. A close relative, Tsuma Kanyonge, is pictured on the right.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation
Mr Tsuma Kanyonge, a family elder, described the loss of four relatives in one crash as a catastrophic blow to the entire community.
He said they heard on local radio that there was a head-on collision on the highway, but they had no idea their own relatives were on that bus.
“This is a big blow, and we are asking President William Ruto to intervene and assist these young children and widows,” he said.
The tragedy has reignited public outrage over the deteriorating safety conditions along the Mombasa–Nairobi Highway, coming just weeks after an October 4 crash at Salama claimed the lives of 17 Catholic pilgrims.
“Two weeks ago, we lost 17 pilgrims, and today we are mourning 23 more victims. Until when?” Mr Kanyonge asked.
A sombre mood hangs over the home of Dr Patrick Mutsunga, one of the victims of the Mtito Andei accident. He died alongside his wife, Younitta Mutsunga, and two other family members in Rabai, Kilifi County, in this photo taken on October 26, 2026.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation
Mr Kanyonge urged the state to arrest the owners of unroadworthy vehicles involved in the crashes and immediately map and mark all blackspots along that highway to protect human life.
Area Member of Parliament Kenga Mupe intervened on Monday morning, coordinating with local administration to transport the remains of the four family members from Makueni to the Pandya Memorial Hospital mortuary in Mombasa as burial arrangements commence.
“They will all be laid to rest right here in Rabai. We are just waiting on the plans,” Mr Mutsunga said, staring into the distance.
