Compensation call as more Kericho crash victims buried

Emotions ran high in Kakamega and Vihiga counties on Friday during the burial of seven victims of the Fort Ternan crash that claimed 58 lives last week.

One family in Kakamega laid to rest four relatives while two others in Vihiga buried three relatives, who succumbed to injuries caused by the accident. 

The burial in Kakamega was held at Ingotse village while a similar event in the neighbouring Vihiga County was held at Mukingi and Gidimo villages.

DEMAND ACTION

Hundreds of friends and relatives were joined by mourners during the three separate events.

In Kakamega, the family of Mr Rostin Luchichi, who died alongside his wife Catherine Kakii and their two children, gathered at the family’s home in Ingotse, to bury the four.

Mr Luchichi, who was a supermarket attendant in Nairobi, died with his entire family. At the time, they were travelling to bury their grandmother Penina Lomen. 

Local MP Mr Emmanuel Wangwe, who attended the burial, said: “The crash robbed me of nine lives from Navakholo Sub-County. I was really heartbroken by the news of these deaths. May their souls rest in peace."

The MP demanded that action be taken against the traffic police officers who were manning roadblocks from Nairobi to the accident scene. A similar call was made by leaders who attended the requiem mass at Amalemba grounds on Wednesday.

COMPENSATE FAMILIES

The leaders at Amalemba grounds, including ANC chief Musalia Mudavadi, his Ford-Kenya counterpart Moses Wetang'ula and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, also demanded that the national government compensates the affected families. 

Overwhelmed mourners sobbed uncontrollably with many collapsing for lack of strength.

Bishop Joseph Obanyi of Kakamega Catholic Diocese led the burial service at Ingotse and officiated at the final rites at the gravesite.

At Gidimo in Vihiga County, 19-year-old Victor Ogada - a first year student at Chuka University - was laid to rest. He had joined the university in September to pursue a Bachelor of Education and had barely taken his studies for a month when his life was cut short by the accident.

TUITION FEES

Mr Eric Odei, Victor's uncle, said the death had robbed the family of an industrious young man who had a bright future. “He had just joined university to pursue a degree in education. We had paid his school fees for the first semester, but days after joining the university, he informed us that the institution wanted tuition fees for the whole year and thus was travelling back home to get more money,” said Mr Odei, who is the Gisambai ward representative.

A few kilometres away at Mukingi, Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi and Vihiga Woman Representative Beatrice Adagala joined mourners in burying two other victims, a father and his daughter.

Nicholas Vuhasho and his daughter Hanandes Vuhasho died in the accident while his wife Roselyne Vihenda is nursing serious injuries.

Mr Agoi and Ms Adagala called on the government to compensate all the affected families. “I will give the government some time. If it fails to compensate the families of the 58 people who died, I will sponsor a motion in Parliament to compel it do pay off the families,” said Mr Agoi.

The family said it had a pending medical bill.