Chavakali crash: Families of victims left grappling with painful loss
The wreckage of one of the vehicles which were involved in a road crash on the Kakamega-Kisumu highway on November 13, 2024.
What you need to know:
- The accident involving two public service vehicles and an oil tanker occurred on Wednesday at 6pm.
- A report from the Kakamega County Base Commander indicated that 20 people were in the crash.
Had everything gone as planned, Ms Dinnah Aminah would still be enjoying her daughter's company, endless laughter and poetic narrations.
Ms Aminah’s daughter Selly Kanzu loved reciting poems so much that she treated travellers at the busy Kakamega bus station to some of her poems a few minutes to her death.
The 22-year-old Kongoni College student would then board a public service vehicle headed to Majengo only for her life to be cut short 15 minutes later.
The deceased is among 10 travelers who succumbed to their injuries in a road crash involving two public service vehicles and a fuel tanker on the Kakamega-Kisumu Road.
Seven people lost their lives on the spot while three others succumbed while receiving treatment at Kakamega County General Teaching and Referral Hospital and Iguhu Level 4 hospital.
“I spoke to my daughter 30 minutes to her death and she was full of life. Selly promised to be home soon,” said Ms Aminah.
Selly had called her mother asking for fare from Kakamega to her home in Majengo, Vihiga County.
The mother however says she got worried when the daughter failed to show up at home more than an hour later.
Her phone had also gone off, prompting the distressed mother to start reaching out to relatives in a desperate effort to establish her whereabouts.
"It is while listening to one of the local radio stations that I learnt about the accident. I was so scared. From my motherly instincts, I could tell that my daughter had also been affected," she recalled.
Ms Aminah says she rallied a few family members and launched the search for their kin in hospital.
She travelled to Vihiga County Referral Hospital and Mukumu Mission Hospital but her daughter was nowhere to be seen.
"When we arrived at Kakamega County General Teaching and Referral Hospital this morning, I was informed that my daughter had died and had been moved to the morgue. She was such a jolly soul. She loved singing, reciting poems and just engaging people in conversations. I am not sure if I will recover from this," said tearful mother said.
The 20 survivors were rushed to hospitals within Vihiga and Kakamega Counties while the dead bodies were moved to Kakamega County General Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Ms Petronila Kuya is one of the four survivors currently recuperating at the referral hospital, having sustained injuries on the leg, stomach and back.
Her three-year-old daughter also sustained injuries on the forehead but was treated and discharged.
The 34-year-old said she boarded the vehicle at Sigalagala headed for Luanda, Vihiga County.
She recalled how the fuel tanker rammed the vehicle they were travelling in barely five minutes after boarding.
The fuel tanker that rammed two 14-seater matatus at Iguhu, Yala Bridge, on the Kisumu-Kakamega road on November 13, 2024.
One of her sons was critically injured and had been moved to the Intensive Care Unit.
"I survived by the grace of God," these were the words of Samuel Andala, another survivor of the grisly crash.
Speaking during an interview at the Iguhu Police Station, Mr Andala, who sustained injuries on his left leg, back and arms, said they had only been travelling for 20 minutes when the accident occurred.
He had boarded a public service vehicle a few minutes to 6pm after closing his workshop.
The mechanic says they had just crossed River Yala when they noticed a fuel tanker coming from the opposite direction.
Apparently, at some point the driver of the tanker lost control of the vehicle and rammed the two 14-seater PSVs.
"I cannot remember what happened next. When regained my senses I found myself next to two men who were unconscious and bleeding," he recalled.
At the time a crowd had gathered at the scene with some people trying to rescue the victims.
Mr Andala, who counts himself lucky to be alive, sustained injuries on his back, chest, arm and a fractured leg.He was rushed to Vihiga hospital but had since been discharged.
“I have since learnt that one of the passengers seated beside me was among those who succumbed,” said Mr Andala.
According to a report from the Kakamega County Police, the accident occurred on Wednesday at 6pm a stone's throw away from Iguhu Police Station.
“Our major concern is the unmarked bump just after the bridge. It has proved to be dangerous to motorists who are not familiar with the road,” said Mr Phabian Shikoti, one of the witnesses.
At the scene, the scattered debris told part of the story. Plastic water bottles, fruits, vegetables, blood soaked headscarves and weaves all pointed at individuals who were headed home after a long day.
There were also broken vehicle windscreens, a dislodged steering wheel and other mangled vehicle parts.
A report from the Kakamega County Base Commander indicated that 20 people were in the crash.
The driver of the tanker is said to have fled the scene and is still at large.
In a condolence message to the affected families, Vihiga County Governor Fernandes Barasa said his administration has mobilised a team of doctors to attend to the injured travellers.
“As we enter the holiday season, I urge all road users, particularly drivers, to exercise caution and to strictly adhere to the traffic rules to prevent further tragedies,” said Mr Barasa.
