At 9.06am last Friday, October 30, Caroline Jebet Kosgei spoke to her classmates and promised to meet them at exactly 9.30am.
They were expected to submit their attachment documents to the administration of Eldoret National Polytechnic, where the 21-year-old was a student and class representative.
It was an ordinary academic appointment, one they had planned earlier in the week. But Caroline never made it.
Instead, news of a fatal road crash near Paradise area in Eldoret's Central Business District reached those waiting for her, turning what should have been another school day into a tragedy.
Caroline and fellow student Brian Kiptum were travelling on a motorcycle when they were hit by a truck along Oginga Odinga Street. The crash killed Caroline at the scene, while Brian survived with minor injuries.
For her parents, Mathew and Eunice Kosgei, the loss is difficult to comprehend. They had watched their daughter leave home that morning, cheerful as usual, unaware that it would be their last goodbye.
Mathew, 53, says he received a phone call informing him that Caroline was dead only a few minutes after she had left.
“I have lost. My family has lost. My daughter was the most jovial being ever. She left me here in the morning, saying she was rushing to school, only to get a phone call a few minutes later that Caroline is no more. We had plans to take her abroad for further studies, but that is not happening anymore,” he says.
The family is now seeking justice, with the father expressing concern over the handling of the case and the whereabouts of the truck driver.
He says they have made attempts to see the driver but have not been able to, raising fears that influential people could interfere with the process.
“We just want justice for Caroline and nothing else. We suspect that there is mischief in the justice process for our daughter and we won't accept it. She was our only hope,” he says.
The family is also appealing to the government and humanitarian organisations for financial assistance to meet hospital bills and funeral expenses, saying they had made no preparations for the sudden loss.
“We had no financial plans for this. We request the government to help us with financial support beyond justice so that we can settle the hospital bills and the funeral arrangements,” Mathew says.
Mathew Toroitich Kosgei, father of Caroline Jebet Kosgei displays his daughter's photograph on his phone during an interview in Eldoret on November 2, 2026. Caroline died after being run over by a truck.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
Caroline’s mother, Eunice, describes her daughter as more than a child, saying they shared a close friendship and had made plans together.
“Caroline was not just a daughter to me; she was my friend. We had plans as friends. I was not expecting to lose Caroline at this time. My child and friend is gone, and there is nothing I can do but to accept God's will. We demand justice for our daughter,” she says.
The fourth-born in a family of five, Caroline also leaves behind a younger sister, Becky Kosgei, who is in Grade Eight.
“Caroline was hardworking and a very supportive sister. We used to share laughter and jokes, but now I have no one,” she says.
At their home in Jerusalem Estate, relatives, neighbours and friends have been gathering to mourn the young woman whose death has left a deep void.
Neighbour Dennis Kandi says Caroline was hardworking and helped her father at Rokocho Butchery in Ngomongo. He says the community is concerned about whether the family will get justice, with fears that influential people could frustrate the process.
A meeting that never happened
The tragedy has also shaken the Eldoret National Polytechnic fraternity, where Caroline was a class representative for students undertaking a course in Individual Support and Ageing.
Her classmates have visited the bereaved family to offer support, helping with household chores, including washing utensils.
Duncan Kiptoo says he last met Caroline on Tuesday, when they discussed their upcoming attachment. They then agreed to meet again on Friday to submit their documents to the school administration.
“We met on Tuesday for a discussion on matters concerning our upcoming attachment. We then planned for another meet-up on Friday to submit our attachment document to the school administration. My last conversation with Caroline was on that fateful Friday at around 9.06am when she was telling me that she wanted to meet them at exactly 9.30am, but she never made it,” Kiptoo says, wiping tears.
Edith Jerop, a fellow student who had known Caroline since high school and considered her her best friend, describes her as open, determined, joyful and hardworking.
For the students, the loss is not only that of a classmate but also of a friend who had been part of their plans and daily lives. Their visit to the family has become one way of standing with those left behind as they come to terms with her death.
According to boda boda operator Isaac Mukwana, 42, who witnessed the accident, the motorcycle carrying Caroline and Brian was waiting to cross the busy Uganda Highway from Iten Road when it was pushed by the killer truck towards Oginga Odinga Street, near Paradise.
Caroline fell off the motorcycle and was run over by the truck's rear tyres, dying on the spot.
Mukwana describes the incident as the most devastating and horrific accident he has witnessed. Caroline’s books, attachment documents, pens and mobile phone were scattered across the bloodied tarmac, beside her lifeless body.
The driver reportedly fled the scene and sought refuge in a nearby bank as an angry crowd gathered, threatening to beat him and set the truck ablaze.
Police officers intervened and took the driver to the police station. They also fired tear gas into the air to disperse the crowd, while the truck was later towed away.
Brian, who sustained minor injuries, was taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) for treatment and was discharged the following day.
The crash has renewed concerns among motorists and residents over safety at the Paradise junction, which they describe as a blind spot where accidents occur frequently. They also point to traffic lights at the location that they say are not operational.
Paradise is a strategic point in Eldoret's Central Business District and has also served as a rallying point for politicians, including former President Daniel arap Moi and President William Ruto during his latest visit to the town.
The concerns over the junction come amid wider road safety fears in Uasin Gishu. During the same week, six people were reportedly killed and several others injured in a multi-vehicle crash along the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway.
Family, friends demand accountability
On Tuesday morning, family members, friends and neighbours took to the streets to demand that police arrest and prosecute those responsible for Caroline’s death.
The protesters questioned the handling of the case, with some alleging that the driver and truck had been released.
Dan Kemboi, who joined the protest, said those responsible should be held accountable regardless of their financial or social standing.
“Humanity should supersede our personal gains. You cannot just kill a person and continue with your daily business like it's nothing. Those who killed our daughter have apparently been released and the truck also. Is this justice? Having money and connections does not give you the authority to triumph over others,” he said.
Her burial is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, at the family home in Tuiyoluk sub-location.
A candle-lighting programme was also planned for Tuesday at Jerusalem Estate, where Caroline lived and worked with her parents, followed by fundraisers to help the family meet hospital bills and funeral expenses.
For her classmates, the memory of that Friday morning will remain tied to the appointment she never kept.
