A devastated kin revealed his last phone conversation with his mother, minutes before she perished in the Nairobi-Mombasa highway crash that claimed 18 lives on Friday, July 8.
Speaking to the media, Samuel Mwita noted that he received his mother's phone call as was the norm, to check up on him and share each other's itinerary.
Minutes after hanging up, little did he know that it was to be the final conversation with his mother.
"She called that day to inform me of her plans to attend a wedding in Mombasa. Based on the time they were set to arrive, they were to make an appearance," he stated.
The bereaved families of Joan Mwakisha and Benson Mwambili also lost their breadwinners in the tragedy.
"After the tragedy, we are left to fend for ourselves. I am the eldest, with my siblings still in Grade Seven. I am yet to come to terms with the situation," Joan stated.
"I have lost my sister who was a single mother of four. We found the body on Saturday, July 9, at the Moi County Referral Hospital Morgue," Benson revealed.
The families spent the better part of Saturday, July 9, at Moi County Referral Hospital Morgue in Voi, identifying the bodies of their loved ones.
The accident occurred after a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) collided with a truck at Taru, Kwale County. Preliminary reports released by the police indicated that the accident happened when the matatu driver was overtaking at black spot.
"This tragedy is a reminder of the need for utmost care by all road users. Road safety is a shared responsibility and everyone must make efforts towards safeguarding their own lives and that of others."
"The National Police Service (NPS) will continue enforcing the Traffic Act in a bid to ensure compliance with the requirements of the law. We further urge the public to take part in the ongoing NTSA Usalama Barabarani Programme that aims to provide," read part of the police statement.
The government has been on a campaign sensitization spree, urging all road users to adhere to the traffic laws in order to avoid more fatalities.
"On their part, riders and motorists should drive within stipulated speeds and deviate from carrying an excess number of passengers," Government spokesperson, Cyrus Oguna, recently stated.
