KCA student who perished in Nakuru accident was travelling to pick job appointment letter

On Tuesday, December 13, eight people died in a grisly road accident at Ngata bridge, Nakuru County.

The early evening accident involved a truck and two matatus. Eye witnesses at the scene said the truck hit bumps and lost control, swerving into the direction of the public service vehicles.

The matatus belonged to Bomet Travellers Sacco and Tripping Luxury Sacco.

Nakuru West sub-County Police Commander Edwin Otieno said 16 people, all passengers in the two matatus were seriously injured. They were rushed to Nakuru Level Five Hospital for treatment. The truck driver escaped unhurt. 

Promising student killed

Among those who lost their lives in the horrific accident is Celestine Awuor, a KCA University student who was supposed to pick her job appointment letter in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.

On the fateful day, Awuor boarded the ill-fated matatu at 2pm, and was supposed to be picked up by her brother-in-law Antony Onyango at Eldoret.

According to Onyango, he was in constant communication with Awuor throughout the journey until when she informed him that they had arrived at Nakuru City at around 5 pm.

He gave himself time because that would mean Awuor will be arriving at Eldoret town at around 8 pm. But while watching the 7 pm news, one of the items was an accident that had occurred in Nakuru County, prompting him to call Awuor. The phone went unanswered, and he feared for the worst.

"By the time of the news, she was supposed to have arrived. When our calls were unanswered, we knew something was wrong. I told my wife [her sister] that I would rush to Nakuru in the morning to see if she was among the injured. I could not sleep," he says.

Onyango decided he will go to Nakuru City that night, and arrived there at around 2 am. He proceeded to Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital, hoping to find that Awuor was among those injured in the accident. Unfortunately, she wasn't among the victims and was referred to Nakuru City Mortuary.

"At the hospital, I was told that there was another accident that happened last week, I just plead with Kenha [Kenya National Highways Authority] to look at that stretch. I have lost a person who was very dedicated to her studies. She was raised by a single mother who struggled to pay school fees but that never deterred her from working hard,” he added.