One by one, Apostle Spencer Mdave laid the bodies of his three daughters and son to rest in a single grave at a quiet compound in Kinango, Kwale County, carrying a heavy burden of grief.
The religious leader bade a final farewell to Salem (born in 1994), Sharon (1995), Sarah (1999) and Shekinah (2006), four vibrant siblings whose lives were cut short in an instant on the Mombasa–Nairobi highway.
The four were among 24 people who died when the bus they were travelling in collided head-on with a heavy cargo truck at Kanga, near Mtito Andei, in the early hours of a Sunday morning last month.
Apostle Spencer Mdave's four adult children, Salem, Sharon, Sarah, and Shekinah, who perished alongside 24 others in a head-on collision at Kanga along the Mombasa–Nairobi highway.
Photo credit: Pool
The vehicle was carrying more than 50 passengers, a close-knit delegation of relatives, church members and more than a dozen pastors returning to Mombasa after attending the burial of a fellow bishop in Lugari, Kakamega County.
For Apostle Mdave, who survived the horrific crash with injuries, the return journey turned into an unimaginable nightmare. Rendered almost speechless and left with four children out of eight, the clergyman stood surrounded by his spouse, who remained quiet, and hundreds of mourners, university administrators, fellow clerics and political leaders who gathered to offer solace to the family on Wednesday.
The funeral service drew a large delegation from the academic community, reflecting the immense professional promise and academic brilliance lost in the disaster.
All four siblings had carved out impressive career and educational paths: the eldest held a degree in Business Management, the second was a civil engineer, the third a land surveyor, and the youngest was on the verge of completing her university studies.
A delegation from the Technical University of Kenya (TUK), led by Dean of Students Maurice Ochieng, lecturers and student leaders, travelled to Kinango to pay homage to Shekinah Mdave, a fourth-year Geoinformatics degree student.
Reading a tribute from TUK Vice-Chancellor Prof Benedict Mutua, Mr Ochieng described Shekinah as an exceptional scholar.
“She was a brilliant and focused student who excelled in her academics and offered leadership. The university has not only lost a diligent student but also a supportive and pleasant person. We pray to God to provide strength and comfort to the family,” Prof Mutua stated.
Her classmates echoed the Vice-Chancellor’s sentiments, deeply shaken by the loss of their peer leader.
“Shekinah was our classmate and I was her class representative. She was a bright student compared to no one. Even in units that were challenging, she always topped. Her loss has shaken us to the core,” said Margaret Wairimu.
Former schoolmates of Sarah and Sharon also shared moving recollections of their childhood and school days. Joseph Mgala, who studied with Sarah at Kinango Secondary School (Class of 2016), described her as an extraordinarily dedicated learner.
“Sarah loved studying even during break time while the rest of us were resting outside. She used every available minute to study and excelled. She lived as a friend to everyone,” he said.
Penina Mkambe, a former classmate of Sharon at Kwale Girls High School (Class of 2013), expressed the collective disbelief of her alumni network.
“Words cannot explain the pain of losing four lives at once. Sharon was a bright and cheerful soul whose memory will remain with us forever,” she said.
Others described the four as rare gifts in life, while the family’s surviving children, led by fifth-born Shofa Mdave, stood alongside their siblings to read a poignant joint tribute to their parents.
The family’s eulogy offered a heartbreaking, step-by-step account of Apostle Mdave’s desperate efforts to save his children in the immediate aftermath of the crash. Standing over the wreckage, he knelt as a father rather than a preacher, praying fervently over his dying children.
Apostle Spencer Mdave and his wife during the burial of their four adult children, Salem, Sharon, Sarah, and Shekinah in Kinango, Kwale County.
Photo credit: Pool
“Salem, you were the child who first made us parents. Your father was there at the scene and witnessed the unimaginable. He tried, but the moment was beyond his strength. You left us at the scene, and we were left wishing we could have done more,” the eulogy stated.
To Sharon and Sarah, the eulogy captured a father’s desperate prayers amid the wreckage.
“Your father prayed with you, holding onto faith and hoping for a miracle, praying not as a reverend, but as a father desperately wanting his daughters to live. We wish those prayers had ended differently. There is no scripture that can make a parent’s tears disappear,” it added.
Speaking of the youngest, Shekinah, the family mourned her unfulfilled potential.
“Your father never got to see you at the scene of the accident, yet he carried the pain of knowing you were gone. It is difficult to understand why your journey ended so soon. You remain the baby of our family, our favourite,” the eulogy went on to state.
Addressing the congregation, Apostle Mdave expressed gratitude to neighbours, church members and leaders who supported the family during the darkest days of their lives.
Shofa Mdave (left) and his surviving siblings read a moving eulogy on behalf of their parents, Apostle Spencer Mdave and his wife, during the burial of their four adult children Salem, Sharon, Sarah, and Shekinah in Kinango, Kwale County.
Photo credit: Pool
“Most of my relatives were injured in the accident, and others succumbed. But we thank God for those of us who survived; we are here to praise God for everything. I cannot say much. I am left with four children,” the pastor said quietly as his spouse stood beside him.
Local political leaders, led by Kwale Deputy Governor Chirema Kombo, commended Cabinet secretaries and regional leaders for assisting the bereaved families financially.
However, angry mourners at the service pointed to persistent reckless driving and dangerous overtaking along the busy Mombasa–Nairobi transport corridor, urging national transport authorities to enforce strict road safety measures to prevent further loss of innocent lives.
The burial in Kinango coincided with wider regional preparations led by Coast religious leaders to hold a joint interfaith requiem service honouring all 24 victims of the highway crash.
At the ACK Mombasa Memorial Cathedral, Bishop Alphonse Baya led a separate requiem Mass for four other victims from a single family who perished in the same collision: Dr Patrick Mutsunga, his wife Younitta Mutsunga, their child Ndune Mutsunga and relative Moses Mwadzuya. The four are set to be laid to rest in Mikomani village, Rabai Sub-County.
Eulogising Younitta, who served as the first chairperson of the diocese’s strategic planning committee in 2018, Bishop Baya mourned the sudden demise of dedicated community servants.
“Today is a difficult day. I have lost a professional who sacrificed herself to work for the church and the community,” Bishop Baya said.
Drawing on biblical scripture to comfort the grieving congregation, Bishop Baya cited John 11, recalling how Jesus wept upon seeing Mary and Martha mourning the sudden loss of Lazarus.
The cleric assured the bereaved that their sorrow was seen and felt in heaven, emphasising that David writes in Psalm 56:8 that God keeps track of every tear shed.
“Your tears have touched God’s heart. God has not forsaken you,” Bishop Baya stated, comforting the families by reminding them that their weeping was a profound expression of love, deep pain, emotion and grief.
Turning to the broader national tragedy of traffic fatalities, the cleric warned that Kenya’s transport corridors had become sites of perpetual mourning for countless households.
Bishop Baya emphasised that road crashes were no longer abstract figures in official reports, but a devastating reality ravaging homes, destroying young dreams and leaving communities deeply scarred.
He noted with concern that statistics from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) revealed a national toll of around 4,000 deaths since January 2026 alone.
Highlighting the urgent need for collective accountability, the bishop called on all road users, law enforcement agencies and transport regulators to take immediate, decisive action to end the ongoing carnage.
He stressed that reversing the alarming rise in fatal accidents demanded a complete shift in attitude among motorists, passengers, vehicle owners and traffic officers.
“The data is no longer a number; it is closer to home. Our families are bleeding, dreams have been cut short, and many are left with questions without answers,” Bishop Baya urged, calling on all stakeholders to take full responsibility for protecting human lives on Kenyan roads.
