A family has been thrown into mourning after it emerged that a man and 12 members of his family were killed in the tragic road accident at Kariandusi near Gilgil, on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.

Details emerging from the tragic accident that occurred on Sunday, September 28, revealed that Elijah Mburu his wife, four daughters, grandchildren, and other close family relatives were among the casualties of the head-on collision between the matatu they were travelling in and a trailer.

Mburu and his family were heading for a family meeting in Rongai, Nakuru, when tragedy struck. The driver of the matatu was also Mburu’s grandchild.

The family members had been picked from various locations around Nairobi, Murang’a, and Naivasha, as they headed to Rongai to meet other members of their kin.

CCTV footage from a nearby petrol station showed the two vehicles colliding head-on, with both moving at relatively high speeds. The matatu sustained immediate damage upon impact, with the footage showing its windscreen and windshield shattering immediately.

Meanwhile, the trailer swerved to the side of the road, had part of its body on the road, and was lying on its side in a ditch. According to the footage, the accident occurred at 12:05pm.

After the accident, 13 people immediately lost their lives, with three others sustaining injuries. The injured were taken to a Nakuru hospital for treatment, but reports emerged disclosing that they had succumbed to their injuries.

Area residents sprang to action moments after the accident, as they attempted to offer first aid to survivors of the accident, which left several items, including vehicle parts, sprawled on the busy road. 

The accident led to a considerable traffic build-up in the Kikopey area, as officers tried to clear the wreckage on Sunday afternoon.

Justina Wamae, the running mate to Roots Party leader George Wajackoyah, issued her condolences to Mburu’s family, even as other relatives converged at his home in Kahiga village, Kandara.

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“My condolences to the family of Elijah Mburu from Kahiga Village in Kandara Constituency, mourning the loss of 13 relatives(same family) who perished in a road accident yesterday at Kariandusi, along the Nakuru Highway near Kikope, travelling to attend a family function,” she noted. 

The family have appealed to well-wishers and the government to step in with burial contributions as they come to terms with the loss that has befallen them.