Hope turns to despair for man with seven missing relatives in Huruma

Bereaved John Awiti at the scene on Saturday 30/04/16 where his relative went missing after the house collapsed in Huruma Estate, Nairobi killing several and injured several people.PHOTO:BONIFACE OKENDO

John Awiti has lost count of the number of trips he has made to Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital and Kenyatta National Hospital since Friday.

He has been looking for his sister Susan Anyang’o and six other family members who were in the six-storey house which collapsed in Huruma estate.

When not visiting the hospitals, he camped at the site of the collapsed building, hoping that one or all of his missing relatives would be pulled out the of debris alive.

At the site, Mr Awiti makes moves speeding to the front every time an announcement of rescue or retrieval of a body is made. But he is yet to see any of his relatives, dead or alive.

In his hand is a piece of paper which he has written names of his missing relatives: Ms Anyang’o (38), Ruth Auma (48), Belinda Akinyi (28), Garvin Juma (6), Franceen Auma (8), Nevine Omondi and Palsanta Ogolla.

They occupied three rooms on the first floor of the collapsed house.

Ms Auma, sister-in-law to Awiti, is missing together with her daughter Belinda and grandson Garvin.

Ms Anyang’o’s husband escaped the tragedy after he left the house that night to go and look for another rental house after the building developed cracks.

Awiti yesterday said that the wait has been agonising for the family, and that he is now prepared for any eventuality.

“The rescue team told us that they are yet to get to the first floor and asked us to be patient. At the moment we are prepared for any outcome,” he said.

On Thursday when Pius Masai of the Disaster Management Unit was briefing the Opposition leaders Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula, Awiti rushed forward and complained that there was no proper communication by the team.

He accused the officers of keeping them in the dark about the rescue progress.

Awiti said they had sent a family member to Kiambu Hospital to establish whether any survivors of the house collapse had been taken there.

“I am appealing to well-wishers to assist us since some of the missing family members have left behind young children,” he said.