EKERENYO, Nyamira — The festive season’s grim harvest has begun in Nyamira County, leaving a trail of broken families and mangled steel on the Ekerenyo-Ikonge highway.

In a heart-wrenching twist of fate, a father identified only as Kodhek stood amidst the wreckage Saturday night, staring at the twisted remains of a matatu that had carried his wife and children to their deaths. He had boarded a different vehicle when the first one filled up in Nairobi, a decision that spared his life but condemned him to a lifetime of grief.

“I only pray that God gives me strength to overcome this tragedy,” Kodhek whispered, his voice breaking as police officers worked to clear the scene.

The Crash

The collision occurred late Saturday evening at Ekerenyo, a notorious blackspot. According to Nyamira County Police Commander Elizabeth Wakuloba, the 14-seater matatu, speeding from Nairobi, rammed head-on into a trailer approaching from the opposite direction.

“The impact was catastrophic,” Wakuloba noted. “The matatu driver appears to have miscalculated while navigating the Ekerenyo stretch. We are currently tracing the trailer driver, who fled the scene, though we are certain he escaped unhurt.”

Five passengers died instantly. Three others succumbed to their injuries at the Nyamira County Referral Hospital (NCRH), bringing the death toll to eight.

A Family Wiped Out

The human cost of the crash is staggering. Among the dead were a mother and her child, traveling alongside two other siblings who survived with critical injuries. They were heading to Kenyenya in Nyamira South for a relative’s funeral—a journey of mourning that turned into a massacre.

Another victim, a businesswoman returning from a restocking trip in Nairobi, died clutching her three-month-old baby. Both perished. Her son, Collins Mayaka, who was waiting for them at home, is now left to plan a double funeral.

Critical Condition

At the Nyamira County Referral Hospital, doctors fought through the night to save the survivors. Medical Superintendent Dr. Angela Ogendi confirmed that seven people were received with varying degrees of trauma.

• Dead on Arrival: 5 passengers.
• Succumbed in Treatment: 3 passengers.
• ICU Admissions: 2 patients with severe head injuries, awaiting referral for specialized neurosurgical care.
• Stable: 5 patients treated and discharged.

“The injuries are consistent with high-velocity impact,” Dr. Ogendi explained. “Our priority now is stabilizing the two critical patients for transfer.”

The 'Kenyan Lens': Why This Matters

This accident is not an isolated statistic; it is a symptom of the annual December carnage that plagues Kenyan roads. With the festive rush in full swing, the pressure on matatu crews to maximize trips often overrides safety protocols.

Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo, who visited the survivors, announced the formation of a task force to address the welfare of the victims. “We cannot continue to lose lives like this,” Nyaribo said. “My government will support the bereaved families during this difficult time.”

As the wreckage is towed away, the Ekerenyo highway remains a silent witness to a national crisis that refuses to end. For Kodhek and the other grieving families, the cost of a road trip home has proven too high to pay.