President Uhuru Kenyatta campaigner loses mother in accident that claimed eight lives

A matatu belonging to Nyamene sacco that was involved in a fatal accident on August 12,2017 along the Meru-Chuka highway at 2:00PM. Photo Peter Muthomi

A chief Jubilee Party campaigner in Meru County lost her mother in the grisly road accident at Ngon'yi on the Meru-Nkubu road on Saturday.

A devastated Irene Kendi lost her mother in the accident which claimed eight people as they travelled from Maua to Chuka in the neighbouring Tharaka Nithi County, for a dowry negotiation ceremony.

"Losing a mother is the worst nightmare for every child. My mom is among those who succumbed in the grisly Meru road accident today. It will remain a dark moment for me and my family, forever. Why now dear Lord?" Kendi wrote on her Facebook wall.

The bad news found her celebrating the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announcement that President Uhuru Kenyatta had won the election.

 Six others who suffered various degrees of injuries were evacuated by the Kenya Red Cross Society to the Meru Referral and Teaching Hospital.

The mishap, one of the major ones to be witnessed in the area in recent months, happened after the matatu which was overtaking a motorcyclist, collided head-on with a lorry coming from the direction of Nkubu.

In the weeks leading to last week's election, she and members of the Mount Kenya Foundation, had traversed different areas of Meru to campaign for President Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election.

Ms Kendi also served as Babu Owino's deputy at the University of Nairobi Students Union (SONU).