Mother and children killed in Huruma tragedy buried
A Kitui family buried three victims of the Huruma building tragedy that killed 51 and injured 100 people.
Emotions ran high at Katitika village in Mwingi Central constituency as a woman was laid to rest alongside her two children.
Hundreds of mourners trickled in to the home of Mr Munyithya Musembi to bid farewell to his kin.
His wife of 13 years, 31-year-old Jackline Mwanziu, died alongside their daughter, Kamola, 12, and only son, Maithya, 9, when the building collapsed in Nairobi’s Huruma estate two weeks ago.
CHEATED DEATH
Mr Musembi was at work at the time of the collapse and one of his daughters, Kasyoka, miraculously cheated death on the fateful day.
“I was still at work when the building crumbled. When I arrived home, I could not see my wife and children but as I continued searching for them I bumped into my surviving daughter who explained to me that her mother and her two siblings were trapped in the debris,” said Mr Musembi, who works as mason in the city.
“I have been left with one daughter and I pray to God to give me strength so that I can take care of her. It is hard for a girl to grow up well without her mother’s care but God’s plans are the best,” he added.
Kasyoka narrated to the mourners how she narrowly escaped death by rushing outside their house a few moments before the building came down.
HEAVY RAINS
She said water had started collecting at their flat after heavy rains. Little did they know that the building was about to collapse.
“I called my mother and told her to wake up my little sister. She said she will alert our neighbours and before that, there were screams all over. Mum told me to accompany her to the house but I swiftly rushed out. It was my last time to see mum and my siblings alive. I will always miss them,” she said.
Until her death, Mrs Munyithya was working with Molo Line Company.
Mr Musembi said they had not received any aid from the government for burial arrangements.
Former Waita civic leader, Mr Manzi Mutua, accused the government of condoning graft which he attributed to the collapse of the ill-fated building.