Kenyan dies in Canada after vehicle plunges into river

The late Benina Jepkoech who died in a road accident in Canada. [Courtesy]

It is always a great joy for a family when a child secures an opportunity to study and work abroad.

For many families, this is a ticket out of poverty and a chance to improve their lives.

But for the family of Paul Tanui in Tuiyo Village, Uasin Gishu County, their hopes and dreams were shattered on May 17, 2026, when they received news of the death of their daughter, Benina Jepkoech, in a road accident.

Jepkoech’s body has not been recovered after the vehicle plunged into the North Thompson River three weeks ago.

“It is hard to believe that she is no more, and worse still, her body has not been traced after plunging into a river while driving. We only rely on information from her friends in Canada who are claiming that the rescue team is searching for the bodies of my daughter and her friend who perished when they were learning to drive,” Tanui said at their on Monday. 

According to Canadian media reports, Benina was with her female friend in North Kamloops when she lost control of the vehicle and plunged into the North Thompson River on a Sunday evening.

The raging river swept away the vehicle and its occupants, and the rescue team is combing the scene in British Columbia, Canada.

Benina, 24, left Kenya in April 2025 to study Bachelor of Hospitality Management.

The family banked their hopes in their second-born daughter to break the chains of poverty and support her siblings to achieve their education dreams.

Sheila Tanui, the late Benina’s mother, said she had great plans for the family, and she was in high spirits when they spoke in a video call a month before the accident.

“We sold what we had and also organised a fundraiser to facilitate her travel to Canada. It was too expensive, but we knew it would be a breakthrough for our family. We expected her to buy us a sizeable farm to live on and also pay school fees for her younger siblings,” she said.

Friends and the Kenyan community in Canada are following up on the search for the remains, which is being led by Canadian authorities.