Brother to Huruma building victim dies after learning sibling still missing

A brother to a victim of the ill-fated building collapsed and died on hearing the news that his sibling was among those missing.

Benedicto Atuta died on Monday morning at his home in Kakamega upon learning his youngest brother, Cornelluis Matioli, was still trapped in the debris of the seven-storey building.

The 59-year-old is said to have been overcome by emotions as hopes of having his brother rescued from the building faded with each passing day.

"He was not sick, he never complained of any pain or being unwell. He was just found dead on his way home," said a sibling, Antony Luseno.

Speaking yesterday in Nairobi after travelling from Ikolomani in Kakamega to come and follow up on the rescue process, Mr Luseno broke down as he narrated his family's predicament.

He said on top of losing his elder brother on Monday, Matioli, his wife and their-12-year-old daughter were yet to be rescued from the Huruma building.

"I left home after Atuta's body was taken to the mortuary," he said, wiping tears from his eyes.

He said he was certain his brother and his family were all dead, though he hoped that their bodies would be retrieved.

"My brother's body is at the Kakamega County Hospital mortuary and here, we are sure we find three bodies waiting for us to transport home," he said.