Tragedy on the Tawa-Itangini Highway

A horrific road accident on the evening of Friday, 21st November 2025, has left a Makueni family and the nation in mourning, while sparking an outpouring of public support for the bereaved. Musili Ngemu, a resident of Kitui, lost his wife and three of his children after a lorry crashed into a stationary 14-seater matatu at the Nguluni Stage in Mbooni East, Makueni County. The family had just picked up another son from Makueni Boys High School, who had completed his final Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination that day.

According to Mbooni East Sub-County Police Commander Ibrahim Karani, the lorry, which had reportedly been speeding, lost control and rammed into the Wamasaa Classic Sacco matatu as it was picking up passengers. The impact was devastating, initially claiming the lives of five people at the scene, with a sixth succumbing to injuries in hospital shortly after. The death toll later rose to seven after an eight-year-old boy passed away while receiving treatment at the Makueni County Referral Hospital's Intensive Care Unit.

A Family's Unimaginable Loss

For Musili Ngemu, who was working in Mombasa at the time, the news was delivered through a series of frantic phone calls. His family—his wife, two sons, and a daughter—had travelled to the school to celebrate the milestone achievement of his eldest son. In a heart-wrenching account, Mr. Ngemu recounted his last conversation with his family, filled with the pride of his son's accomplishment. His sister, Catherine Mwanzia, rushed to the hospital and was only able to identify two survivors from their family: the son who had just finished his exams and another young child. Mr. Ngemu's wife and his three other children—a son in Form Three, another in Grade Five, and a daughter nearly three years old—were among the fatalities.

A Nation's Compassionate Response

As the scale of Mr. Ngemu's loss became public, a groundswell of support emerged across Kenya. A Facebook user, Mambo Felix, shared a plea highlighting the family's unimaginable grief and provided contact details for those wishing to offer financial assistance. The post went viral, with Kenyans from all walks of life responding. The comments section was flooded with messages of condolence and screenshots of mobile money transactions, demonstrating a collective desire to ease the financial and emotional burden on the grieving father.

The tragedy also prompted an official response. Makueni County Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. and Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili visited the survivors at the Makueni County Referral Hospital and met with the bereaved families. On Tuesday, 25th November 2025, Governor Kilonzo met personally with Musili Ngemu in Tawa to offer his condolences. The county government pledged to waive all hospital and mortuary fees for the victims and to cover burial expenses. Furthermore, Governor Kilonzo announced that the county would support the education of Mr. Ngemu's two surviving children.

Calls for Road Safety and Justice

The Nguluni crash has reignited urgent calls for improved road safety in the region. Survivors and eyewitnesses reported that the lorry driver was speeding and driving carelessly before the crash. Police have since launched a manhunt for the driver, who reportedly fled the scene immediately after the accident. The incident, which also claimed the lives of other passengers including KCSE candidates returning home, underscores the devastating toll of traffic accidents on Kenyan roads. As the Ngemu family and others affected by this tragedy prepare to bury their loved ones, a nation watches on, united in grief and demanding greater accountability to prevent such loss in the future.