13 victims of Machakos road accident to be buried Monday

BY ERASTUS MULWA

Machakos, Kenya: Farewell service for the 13 victims who were killed in a grisly road accident along Masii-Tawa road in Machakos County will be laid to rest Monday next week.

The decision was reached following a high level meeting convened Tuesday by Kangundo DC Samuel Njora, at Africa Brotherhood Church Maiuni, to deliberate on burial plans.

Top on the meeting’s agenda was to draw a budget to cater for the expenses of the victims’ funeral ceremony, which is expected to attract thousands of mourners from different parts of the country.

Kangundo MP Kyengo Maweu, Machakos County Executive members Kioko Luka (Roads, Public Works and Housing) and Mary Mutie (Health and Emergency Services) were in attendance.

A budget of Sh2.8 million was proposed, where Mr Njora announced that National Government would provide Sh 1.1 million. Machakos County government is expected to foot the remainder of the budget amounting to Sh 1.7 million.

The committee announced that a requiem mass will be held at Kangundo AIC Primary School between 10am and 1pm, from where various families will be allowed to pick the bodies of their loved ones to take them to their final resting places. The funeral service is expected to be conducted by the presiding Bishop of AIC, Silas Yego.

Mr Njora said representatives from all affected families will be involved in the final arrangements to be held Wednesday to fine-tune the program.

The National Transport and Safety Authority has suspended license of the Tala-based Makata sacco after the Saturday horror crash that killed 13.

The victims, who included several members of the same family, were travelling to Mbooni in the neighboring Makueni County when the ill-fated matatu nose-dived into a river from a ten-meter high bridge.

Six people who sustained multiple injuries are still admitted to Machakos Level 5 hospital.