A cloud of grief hangs over the family of Musili Ngemu in Makueni county following the tragic deaths of his wife and three children. Musili Ngemu lost his wife and children in an accident in Makueni county. Ngemu’s family perished in a devastating accident that occurred at Nguluni Stage, Mbooni East, on the evening of November 21. The deadly crash was caused by a speeding lorry that rammed into a stationary matatu on the Tawa-Itangini highway. Where was Ngemu’s family going before crash? While at the Tawa Mortuary, awaiting post-mortem results alongside others who had lost loved ones, the devastated man, tears in his eyes, spoke about the tragedy. He recalled that he had lost four beloved family members: his wife, two sons, and a daughter. They had been on their way to Makueni Boys High School to pick up his son, who had just completed his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). “My son finished his exams on November 21, and my wife called to say they would go to pick him up. They even called me to say they had arrived at the school, and my son had finished his exams by 12 pm. He told me he would do well in his exams and make me proud when I spoke to him on the phone,” he shared, his voice breaking. The family had planned to stop for lunch before boarding a matatu to head back home. However, around 6 pm, Ngemu noticed missed calls on his phone, which he had left charging while working. Fortunately, another call came through from his son, who had just cleared his KCSE exams. His son explained that they had been involved in a road accident and were on their way to Makueni County Referral Hospital. Musili Ngemu painfully shared the last conversation with his wife before she perished in road crash. Where was Musili Ngemu when his wife, kids died? Upon receiving the news, Ngemu immediately boarded a bus from Mombasa, where he was working. “By 3 am, I was in Makindu and then took another vehicle to Wote. I had already spoken to my sister, who lives closer to the hospital, and she went to check on my family. She told me that when she arrived, all of them were still alive and had been admitted to the same ward,” he recounted. But, upon his arrival early the next morning, he was met with the heartbreaking sight of his two children in critical condition. His wife and one of the children had already passed, and their bodies had been moved to the mortuary. “When I arrived at the mortuary, I saw my wife, my two sons, and my daughter lying lifeless. One of my sons was in Form Three, the other in Grade Five, and my daughter was about to turn three years old. It feels as though I have lost my entire family. Where do I even begin? The house feels so empty,” he explained, his voice breaking with sorrow. He has called on the government to assist him with the hospital bills and funeral expenses, noting that he is unable to cover the costs alone. In response, the Makueni County Government has pledged to cover all hospital and burial expenses for the victims of the tragic crash, as the death toll rose to seven.
By Lynn-Linzer Kibebe
