Three mourners die in Busia after trailer crashes taxi
Relatives of Busia road crash victims gather at Busia Health Centre IV on October 21, 2024 to claim their bodies. PHOTO/DAVID AWORI
What you need to know:
- The driver of the taxi, who was only identified as Rashid, was rushed to an unknown health facility in Kenya after sustaining severe injuries on his hands and head.
Three people have been confirmed dead following a road crash at Buhobe Village, Namungodi Town Council, Busia District, on Sunday night.
The deceased have been identified as two traders Winnie Namusubo and Jane Auma, and a nurse at one of the facilities in Busia town Aidah Namudde. The three were, however, all residents of Mayombe Village, Dabani Sub-county in Busia District.
The crash occurred when Busia-bound commuter taxi registration number UBQ 489E, in which the deceased were traveling, collided with a trailer registration number KBW 523H.
The victims were allegedly returning home after attending the burial of one of the traders in Sofia Market at Kigongwe Village in Mukono District when the crash happened.
Mr Isaac Mando, who survived the road crash, said the trailer had one headlamp and was mistaken for a motorcycle by the taxi driver.
“We were returning from burial in Mukono, but when we reached Buhobe, our taxi collided with the trailer which had only one headlamp,” Mando said on October 21.
The driver of the taxi, who was only identified as Rashid, was rushed to an unknown health facility in Kenya after sustaining severe injuries on his hands and head.
Eliud Taabu, a relative of Namusubo, said the accident should have occurred just before midnight because his brother, who is the husband to the deceased, had reportedly kept in touch with her, but became suspicious when she took too long to arrive home.
Yona Onyango, a son to the late Auma, described his mother’s death as “shocking”, saying the deceased “was everything to him” and singlehandedly supported his education while encouraging him to stay at school and work hard.
Police were yet to release a statement by press time. However, relatives of the deceased gathered at Busia Health Centre IV and Dabani Hospital where the bodies were taken for postmortem.
