Fatuma Salim displays a picture of her elder sister of Mesalim Salim who died after a perimeter wall collapsed at Miritini area in Jomvu Sub-County, Mombasa in this picture taken on December 3, 2024.
For the residents of KCC village in Miritini, Mombasa county, Monday was just another day of coming together as a community to mourn with a neighbour who had lost a loved one.
Unknown to them, this humane act would end up sinking the entire neighbourhood into more mourning, after five people died tragically at the funeral service.
The deaths occurred when a perimeter wall at a neighbouring compound collapsed during heavy rains accompanied with strong winds. Three other people were injured.
Recounting the last moments of their loved ones, family members could not hide their shock about the turn of events.
Ms Fatuma Salim lost her younger sister, Mesalin Nyandoro, in the Monday afternoon tragedy.
They had attended the funeral service of Emmanuel Choga, 62, and spent some time sharing stories and reflecting on life.
The deceased, Emmanuel, was a relative of the two women, besides being neighbours.
Ms Nyandoro came face to face with the tragedy which cost her life when she excused herself to check if rainwater had entered her house, located just 80 metres away. She never made it home.
Reflecting on the tragic moment, Ms Salim recalled that they had been taking shelter from the rain when her sister chose to leave.
“I heard some noise after a while, and when I went to check, I saw a collapsed wall,” she said.
Ms Salim described how she saw Nyandoro’s husband carrying her body from the rubble after she moved closer to the scene.
Mourners at the family of 24-year-old Abdalla Mbashu who perished after a perimieter wall collapsed at Miritini in Jomvu Sub-County, Mombasa in this picture taken on December 3, 2024.
“I saw her husband carrying something. He told me it was my sister, and that she had been removed from the rubble of the collapsed wall. I could not believe it," she said tearfully.
She said she was overcome by emotion as she had been with her sister less than five minutes before this tragic accident.
The 40-year-old has left behind nine children, including a five-year-old toddler.
Emmanuel was Nyandoro’s brother-in-law, and now the family is preparing for another funeral.
The mourners had gathered at Emmanuel's residence to pay their last respects before transporting his body to the South Coast for burial.
"I am now left alone to take care of our nine children. This is a big loss," Nyandoro's husband, Mr Juma Mwenda said.
The tragedy also claimed the life of 24-year-old Abdallah Timothy.
Abdallah, who was a casual labourer, died at the Port Reitz Hospital where he had been rushed for treatment after sustaining injuries from the collapsed wall.
His grandmother, Mwanakombo Hamisi, described him as a hardworking young man dedicated to his work.
“He was still very young but we have now lost him just like that, it is a sad day for me,” she told the Nation at her residence in Jomvu.
Residents of Miritini at the scene where a perimeter wall collapsed and killed five people who were attending a burial ceremony in this picture taken on December 2, 2024.
Abdallah was to be buried on Tuesday in accordance to Islamic traditions, but government authorities intervened to stop the process so that the body undergoes an autopsy.
His uncle, Abu Nassoro said the body had been prepared, waiting for the 1pm prayers before being buried in a nearby cemetery before the family was informed that they could not proceed yet.
“The police picked up the body saying a post-mortem must be carried out before the body is released to the family for burial,” he said.
Ms Mariam Omar, who had accompanied the deceased to the hospital, recounted his last moments.
“He received only a pint of blood before he took his last breath. I was with him in the hospital when he passed away,” she said.
Police reports indicated that the victims included three women aged 40, 32, and 30, a four-months-old girl, and 24-year-old Timothy.
All the bodies are preserved at Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, awaiting post-mortem examinations before being released to their families for burial.
Juma Anderson, a resident and witness to the tragedy, described vividly how the rain began suddenly.
"It was raining, at first there was no wind, but after a few minutes, the wind began to blow violently. If you were standing against the wall, you were safe from the rain and wind because the rain would not reach you," he explained.
Mr Anderson, who was also at the funeral, revealed that he had been standing close to the wall along with Abdallah.
Residents of Miritini at the scene where a perimeter wall collapsed and killed five people who were attending a burial ceremony in this picture taken on December 2, 2024.
However, he explained that something deep within him urged him to look behind.
"When I did, I saw the wall collapsing. I started running and got confused. When I regained consciousness after two minutes, I found the wall down. Those who were unable to run were buried under it," he said.
Despite the panic, Anderson said he and other mourners quickly sprang into action.
"A lot of people came, and we started helping those who were trapped. It was a chaotic and desperate effort," he added.
It was while helping those trapped that he discovered that Abdallah, who he had been standing close to him was among those seriously injured in the accident.
"I was the last person to talk to him. We were standing together. I am a bit heavy, but he is light. I don’t know how I managed to escape, leaving him behind," he said.
The two had been waiting for Emmanuel's body to be placed in a bier and load it in a vehicle for onward transport to South Coast for burial.
The vehicle had already arrived at Emmanuel’s residence and they were only waiting for mourners to view the body before they could leave.
Mr Anderson expressed frustration at what he termed as negligence on the part of the authorities.
"I would also have died here because of this kind of negligence by the authorities concerned. You see how corruption kills? There is someone who approved this wall, inspected it, and even gave it a clean bill of health," he said.
Residents of Miritini at the scene where a perimeter wall collapsed and killed five people who were attending a burial ceremony in this picture taken on December 2, 2024.
“Lives have been lost, even if they compensate the victims' families, you cannot compensate for a life lost," he added.
Village elder Nasib Mwinyi said he was alerted to the disaster by his son and rushed to the scene and found residents removing the bodies from the rubble and helping the injured.
Residents have demanded accountability and action against those responsible for approving the structure.
Mombasa County Executive for Transport Dan Manyala said the remaining part of the wall has been deemed dangerous and will be demolished to ensure residents’ safety.
Mr Manyala urged the public to remain vigilant during the ongoing rainy season.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir pledged comprehensive support for the affected families, including waiving all medical bills and funeral expenses as part of the county’s commitment to alleviate their burden.
The governor assured the public that his administration would implement stringent measures to prevent such tragedies in the future, promising that his office will engage with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to ensure those involved are held criminally liable.
“Reckless endangerment of human life will not be tolerated. We cannot allow such avoidable disasters to rob us of innocent lives. Moving forward, we will enforce strict compliance with construction laws and hold accountable those who jeopardize lives through illegal developments,” he stated.
Mr Nassir has called for calm and patience, assuring residents that his administration will leave no stone unturned in ensuring justice for the victims and their families.
