Tears as 13 Mai Mahiu flood tragedy victims are buried, 37 still missing

The burial of 13 people who lost their lives in Mai Mahiu flood tragedy. [Antony Gitonga, Sandard]

Emotions ran high in Mai Mahiu, Naivasha as 13 of the 61 people who died two weeks ago following a flooding tragedy were laid to rest.

Tears flowed freely as relatives and friends tried to come to terms with the death of their kin.

For some the thoughts of some 37 people still missing after the incident were unbearable as they broke down in tears.

Of the 13 who were buried in different locations, three were minors.

Distraught families of those still missing called on the government to support them in retrieving the bodies of their loved ones.

A joint memorial service was held at Kamucira village, a few kilometres from the scene of the Monday tragedy before each family retreated to their homes to bury their kin.

The service came a day after Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua led leaders in a requiem mass where each of the affected families received between Sh150,000 and Sh200,000 to cater for burial expenses.

According to Naivasha Member of Parliament Jane Kihara, the government would continue to stand with the affected families as they started to rebuild their homes.

An emotional Kihara said that the tragedy had taken a toll on her as she tried to come to terms with the deaths of so many people including 15 minors.

“I am still traumatised by the whole incident and I have so many unanswered questions but I leave everything to God as he is the comforter,” she said.

Some relatives of the deceased said they would never forget the day having lost their kin, friends, neighbours, and all their belongings.

According to Esther Njeri who lost two relatives, the incident marked the darkest day for the families, many of whom were still traumatised by the harrowing ordeal.

She called on teachers to be understanding in case those minors affected by the tragedy failed to report to classes on Monday when schools reopen.

“Many of these victims need mental support due to what they went through and we hope that teachers in different schools will support them,” she said.

A friend Francis Mungai lauded the plan to resettle the victims while calling for an assessment of the scene of the incident to avoid future calamities.

“We are still trying to come to terms with this incident that claimed so many people and we pray that no other family undergoes such pain,” he said.