Burial
Tears flowed uncontrollably as six members of one family that perished in the Mai Mahiu flood tragedy were laid to rest at a local public cemetery Thursday.
The six are part of the eight family members that died after gushing waters caused by a burst of a blocked old railway tunnel in Kijabe area unexpectedly engulfed their family home at Ruiru village at the dead of the night on April 29.
Ten family members of Mary Muthoni Mwangi had on the Sunday; April 28 gathered at her home to plan for a fundraiser to bail out one of her sons who had been incarcerated at the Naivasha Prison.
But according to Muthoni, the family matriarch, the members agreed to spend the night and resume their travels the next morning after the planned meeting extended for hours oblivious of the looming catastrophe that lurked in the darkness.
And on Monday, April 29 at 3 am, during her prayer routine, fierce and unforgiving floods marooned their entire home and in seconds swept everyone away downstream leading to the death of eight members while two survived.
Among the dead were her daughter, Son’s wife and six grandchildren. The tragedy is said to have so far claimed 62 lives.
Mary Mwangi (centre) who lost eight of her family members to the flooding incidents that engulfed her family home in Ruiru village in Mai Mahiu on April 29 gets comforted during the burial ceremony of six members at the Longonot cemetery on Thursday.
Last Saturday, two of the grandchildren were laid to rest at their family home in Kinangop while the rest six were buried today at Longonot cemetery Kenyans from all walks of life including residents gathered to comfort the grieving family.
According to Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara, the harrowing experience of the flood tragedy is still fresh to tens of families and the entire Mai Mahiu community and called for continued psychosocial support to the affected to enable them to overcome the grief.
Kihara lauded government agencies, humanitarian bodies and well-wishers who have supported the affected families with donations including foodstuffs and clothing reiterating that the victims lost all properties during the horrific night.
Kihara said officials from National Environment Management Authority have commenced assessment of the affected area in addition to the ongoing parliamentary findings to guide the planned relocation and resettlement of the affected families.
“It is a great loss and sorrow for one family that had gathered for noble cause to lose eight of their loved ones to the unforeseen tragic flooding,” the MP said. I will commit to sustain government support to all affected families, she added.
The MP who also committed sh. 100,000 to the Muthoni family urged the affected parents to facilitate their children to resume school noting that more than 2,000 students are yet to report back to Ngeya Secondary School, which had been hosting affected families but has since been cleared.
According to a sorrowful Tabitha Wanja Mwangi, a daughter who coincidentally missed the planned meeting, the tragedy that hit her family will forever be etched in their minds, the grief being too heavy to carry along.
Wanja who is still traumatized by the harsh reality that eight of her family members are no more thanked Kenyans for the continued show of solidarity and support as they come to terms with the horrific tragedy that befell their community.
With the glaring need for counselling support to the affected families, Monica Gathura, a family therapist and counsellor has committed together with five others to voluntarily offer psychosocial support to all the affected.