As they gazed into space, feelings of numbness and despair were written all over their faces.
At one time, they would jump-up and scream in disbelief. At other times, they would race to the main entrance of the Naivasha hospital mortuary to behold the bodies of the victims which were occasionally wheeled out by the morgue attendants for identification by the family members.
This was a day after families of victims of the Naivasha road accident crowded the morgue to identify their children. The learners died in the car crash amid details that the driver was speeding and overtaking carelessly. Tears of pain were shed, some parents fainted and prayers recited as parents, friends and school management tried to come to terms with the Tuesday afternoon accident.
On Tuesday, a matatu ferrying 11 students from Mbihi High school in Mbale, Vihiga County hit a trailer near Naivasha town killing five of the girls on the spot.
Vihiga MP Ernest Kivai said they would be meeting Roads Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen over an increase in road accidents.
Speaking at Naivasha Hospital after meeting affected the parents, Kivai said three of the injured students had been transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital. "We are concerned over rising cases of accidents and we shall support the parents in transferring the students bodies to Nairobi and Vihiga as requested," he said.
Vihiga Women Representative Beatrice Adagala challenged traffic police to intensify their crackdown on speeding drivers and defective vehicles.
Adagala called on the hospital management to waive the postmortem fee for the affected parents terming the death of the students a painful moment to parents.
"We shall stand with the parents during these hard times as they plan to transfer the bodies and bury them in their respective homes," she said. One of the parents Patrick Odero who lost his daughter Blessings Odero said he received a call from the driver of the ill-fated matatu apologising for causing the accident. [Antony Gitonga]
Odera who had to travel overnight to Naivasha said they were looking forward to receiving his daughter before getting the painful news. "We are still trying to come to terms with this accident that has claimed our daughter who was in Form Three and we pray that God will give us strength to overcome this," he said.
Another parent Bernard Mulukhu said he learnt of the accident through a phone call before travelling to Naivasha where he confirmed the death of his daughter.
School Principal Jael Wasamukha said the students had complained that the driver was speeding and overtaking carelessly.
