Mary Njeri cannot make sense of what happened on Friday evening. She found herself lying at Kericho County Referral Hospital in the wee hours of Saturday.
With a broken hand and debilitating pain in her head, she struggled to recollect the events that unfolded shortly after she finished selling her potatoes at Chepseon market.
While the mother of one was lucky to survive the crash that involved a truck and five other vehicles at Londiani junction in Kericho County, her 57-year-old mother-in-law was not.
Ms Njeri, who jointly managed the business with Rose Sang, remembers taking a back seat in a 14-seater matatu after closing business to retreat to their home in Total, Mau Summit.
“All I know is that there were six people in the vehicle. My mother-in-law sat in front of me,” she told the Sunday Nation at her hospital bed.
Ms Njeri’s shoes and other belongings were among the items strewn all over the accident scene after a truck loaded with cement lost control and hit pedestrians, boda bodas, hawkers and parked vehicles at the market.
Yesterday, her husband – Isaac Sang – was struggling to comprehend the disaster after losing his mother and having a seriously injured wife nursing serious wounds.
“When I learnt about the accident from a neighbour, I rushed to Londiani Hospital after failing to trace my wife and mother on phone,” he said.
Around 9pm, he identified his mother by the clothes she wore and a mark on her face.
For Margaret Chepkirui, who was selling fresh milk, the amputation of her right leg signifies the magnitude of the carnage.
Her sister Carren Chepngetich attributes her survival to the heroic actions of first responders. Chepkirui was found trapped under a matatu minutes after the crash.
“The first thing I saw on opening my eyes was the twisted wreck a vehicle on me,” she said.
Ms Mary Maritim, who was travelling from Kedowa to Nakuru where she works, met her fate as she changed vehicles.
“Everything happened fast. I am still haunted by it,” she said.
Mr David Mwangi, a shoe seller, escaped death by a whisker after taking lunch across the road.
“I saw the vehicle speeding towards me and ran as fast as I could but slid and hit my head on a culvert,” he said.
According to a statement by Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, some 32 people were injured in the Friday 6.30pm accident that shook the country to the core.
The injured were taken to Londiani Sub-County Hospital before being referred to Kericho County Referral Hospital.
Kericho Governor, Eric Mutai, said the hospital received 19 patients, with two dying as they were being treated.
One person died at Nakuru Provincial General Hospital after he was referred from Kericho County Referral Hospital.
“Only 10 bodies have been identified. We call on the public to be a little bit patient with us as it may take a bit of time to identify the remaining bodies which are not in a good state,” Governor Mutai told reporters yesterday.
Many survivors have severe injuries to their limbs, the county boss added.
