Florence Akoth sits on a boulder for a few seconds and stands up as she unsuccessfully tries to battle a cascade of tears amid loud sobs at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital Mortuary.

Next to her, other distraught family members are sobbing uncontrollably, eyes red and pale, as they struggle to come to terms with the loss of their loved ones. Others, mouth agape, speechless with pain written all over their faces.

Akoth is among several families who lost family members in the fatal road accident in Mamboleo, Kisumu, that left 26 people dead and scores fighting for their lives.

It is an accident that wiped out 26 members of the Orwa Owak clan from Katombo village in Upper Nyakach and left some family members losing more than one member.

When The Standard visited the mortuary, a wave of agony, pain, and heartbreak enveloped the area as devastated relatives combed the area to know the fate of their loved ones.

For Akoth, the thought of peeping through the doors of the mortuary startled her. Here, the bodies of 11 close relatives who died as a result of the crash lay.

“I have cried since yesterday. The pain is unbearable, and I don’t know if I will ever heal. My friends wouldn’t even let me see the bodies,” she narrates amid sobs.

Among the dead were her sisters, brothers, and an uncle. Another relative was visibly shaken and could barely utter a word.

What had begun as a journey of shared grief ended in an unimaginable tragedy on Friday evening when the bus belonging to AIC Naki High School overturned at the Coptic Roundabout in Mamboleo, Kisumu. The family, alongside their clan members, had travelled to Nyahera to attend the burial of their kin, Risper Akeyo.

At the time of the tragedy, they were travelling back home to Nyakach.

As night fell, JOOTRH became a centre of anguish. Families camped at the hospital, desperately seeking news about their loved ones. Many arrived hopeful but were met with devastating confirmation of death.

On Saturday, friends and relatives were in tears as they searched through the bodies to locate their kin who perished in the fatal accident.

Freelance journalist Mercy Okuto lost five cousins in the accident, while his uncle survived with injuries and is still undergoing treatment.

Kennedy Achieng, who lost his mother, was distraught and described her demise as a big blow to the family.

“She told me she was travelling to a funeral. I wished her safe travels. She was supposed to attend another burial, but she chose this one. I never thought it would be the last time we spoke,” he said.

His sister, Janet Awuor, described their mother as loving and irreplaceable. “When we got the news, our whole village went silent. We couldn’t eat or sleep. I remember how my mother used to advise us, but now she is gone,” Janet said.

Veronica Anyango from Kisumu lost her second-born daughter, who was married and had three young daughters. “I heard of the accident and called her, but she didn’t answer. The next morning at the morgue, I found her body. She was a hero in my life. Now her children are orphans—their father died last year,” Anyango said, tears streaming down her face.

Wilfred Oluoch from Nyakach lost both his aunt and uncle in the crash. “That morning, I told them to travel safely because roads aren’t safe these days. Later, a friend called me after seeing the news online. I went to the hospital and identified them by the clothes they were wearing. We had just met earlier that day before they left. I won’t forget this,” he said.

For some who survived, it was a miracle that they survived.

Kenneth Ochieng, still nursing serious injuries, recalled the terrifying moments. “After crossing the bump at Coptic Roundabout, the driver lost control when the brakes failed. The bus rolled over, and suddenly we were on the ground. I was travelling with my wife, but I still don’t know if she’s alive,” he said.

Another couple lost in the crash was George Nyamitta and his wife, known by relatives as Nyakabondo. George had insisted on attending the funeral with his wife because of his lifelong friendship with her.

The Standard established that the victims of the crash had each paid Sh400 for the trip.

This was after at least 50 members of the Orwa Owak clan from Katombo village in Upper Nyakach had gathered at the home of Mzee Nelson Obange to finalize travel arrangements to Nyahera in Kisumu West Sub-County for the burial of Risper Akeyo Ogendo, Mzee Obange’s daughter.

For the village elders, the burden of guiding the community through this unprecedented grief is heavy. They admit they have never faced such a tragedy in Katombo’s history.

While other villagers mourned at the morgue, shocked by the magnitude of their loss, a few elders sat quietly apart, each grappling with their personal sorrow at losing so many loved ones.

78-year-old Mzee Joseph Okal Agwanda, who had been unable to attend the Nyahera burial due to ill health.

“Since childhood, I have seen death, but never one like this—where so many from one family perish, wiping out an entire clan,” Mzee Okal reflected sorrowfully. He urged the community to remain peaceful and united.

“Death has visited us. Let us accept and be calm because there is nothing we can do. Let us pray to God to help us bring another generation,” he said.

According to the Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr Ouma Oluga, 21 passengers died at the scene, five more succumbed while receiving treatment at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), and another died hours later. At least 28 others were injured and remain admitted at JOOTRH, many in critical condition.

Nyanza Regional Traffic Enforcement Officer Peter Maina reported that the bus lost control immediately after crossing a bump, veered off the road, and rolled several times before coming to a stop. 

Dr Oluga assured families that all hospital bills for survivors will be covered by the government. “We are doing everything possible to prevent further deaths. There are no missing persons—everybody in the morgue and every patient in the wards has been identified by relatives. We send our deepest condolences to the bereaved families,” he said.