Nine of their children as well as the 25-year-old wife of former Kamukunji MP George Nthenge died in an accident in Machakos.
On that tragic day in 1978, the 12-person family and a cousin were traveling to Nairobi in their capacious Peugeot 504 station wagon.
On the Nairobi-Mombasa route, Nthenge, a driver, made the decision to pass a truck whose driver had given him the go-ahead as they reached the Athi River Bridge.
He related how suddenly another car with full beam lights emerged and started driving in his direction.
The politician swerved to the right in an effort to avoid the sand-filled lorry that was coming toward them, but regrettably, the other driver had the same idea.
The truck’s entire front axle was entirely shattered when the two cars crashed in a ditch alongside the road, nearly flattening his automobile to the ground.
His wife died while being pulled out of the rubble by rescuers, and the impact instantaneously killed his four daughters and four sons.
One of his kids was removed from the scene and later passed away from her injuries.
Fortunately, his son only sustained a shattered arm and escaped.
Nthenge had been unconscious the entire time, and when he came to, he was being transported to a medical facility.
Even though the niece of the former MP was in a wheelchair, repercussions from the injury claimed her life six years later.
The politician’s injuries prevented him from leaving the hospital, so despite how upsetting it was for him, he had to let family members to bury his deceased family members without him.
TimingNowKE 