The Nithi bus crash has left behind shattered families grieving for their loved ones and left an indelible mark on the country. The accident which has claimed the lives of 35 people so far has been a horror that will forever be embedded in the memories of the victims’ families.
Mercy, the widow to the Modern Coast bus driver involved in the Tharaka Nithi bridge accident is one of the bereaved.
On Monday while addressing journalists, she revealed her final moments with her beloved husband.
“I had attended a parents’ meeting at our daughter’s school and my husband spoke to her and promised to send her money. Since then, we never spoke again. His phone was not going through,” explained the distraught widow.
She said that her husband had earlier been laid off due to Covid 19 and said that the family really struggled during that time. Mercy claimed that when public transport normalised and buses were allowed back on the road, her spouse constantly complained to the company that the brakes of the bus he had been assigned had mechanical issues.
“He had been complaining about the state of the bus for a while now. He spent a lot of time at the garage with that bus,” Mercy claimed.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) grounded all Modern Coast buses for further probing in relation to the accident.
Another victim of the crash was Mary Mwandisha, a promising doctor who had secured employment in the County Government of Taita Taveta.
The young doctor’s mother, Evangeline Mwandisha, said that her daughter notified her of the journey before the bus met its untimely fate.
”She called me before boarding and promised to call upon arrival. I was worried when I woke up at 6 am and realised that her phone was not going through after failing to notify me. I was a hopeful parent, my daughter had many dreams to achieve. She was on the right path and her untimely death is such a big blow,” Evangeline said.
Medline Mwandika, a brother to the deceased later said that the family learned of her sister’s death after making inquiries with the Kilifi Modern Coast booking office.