A deep sense of grief has engulfed the family of Maj. (Rtd) Solomon Obange, the former Head of Security at Parliament, and Dr. Dick Obange of Maseno University, after they lost 25 relatives in a devastating road accident in Kisumu.
The tragedy unfolded on Friday evening at the Coptic Roundabout along the Kisumu-Kakamega Road, wiping out almost an entire extended family and leaving the nation in shock. What was meant to be a solemn journey home from a burial in Nyahera turned into a heartbreaking nightmare.
The bus, carrying 61 passengers, most of them members of the same family, lost control, hit roadside structures, and overturned, creating a scene of chaos and despair.
The accident has been described as one of the deadliest in Kisumu County’s history. Reports indicate the bus was ferrying the family from Kisumu West sub-county to Nyakach when the crash occurred.
Police say the driver appeared to lose control while navigating the busy Coptic Roundabout, causing the vehicle to veer off its lane before smashing into structures and rolling over, trapping many inside.
Witnesses spoke of the deafening noise of the crash and the desperate cries for help from survivors. Emergency services, including the Kenya Red Cross, Kisumu County Government, and the National Police Service, responded quickly, transporting the injured to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Initially, 21 deaths were confirmed, but the hospital later announced that the number had risen to 25 as more victims succumbed to their injuries.
Thirty-three others were left with serious injuries, ranging from fractures and head trauma to internal bleeding. Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo expressed his condolences in an official statement, assuring the family of government support and promising to work with the county government and the hospital to assist those affected.
President William Ruto also sent his sympathy, directing traffic officers to step up enforcement to prevent similar tragedies.
The accident has once again brought Kenya’s poor road safety record into focus. Official statistics reveal that over 4,000 people die on Kenyan roads each year, with speeding, reckless driving, and poorly maintained vehicles among the leading causes.
The Coptic Roundabout, where this crash occurred, has seen multiple fatal accidents in the past, sparking renewed calls for its redesign and the installation of speed-reduction measures.
Critics argue that lax traffic enforcement, weak driver training standards, and corruption in vehicle inspection have contributed to the recurring tragedies.
Lawmakers from the Nyanza region have vowed to push for tighter safety regulations for passenger vehicles and an inquiry into the Kisumu crash to establish whether mechanical problems, overloading, or driver fatigue were factors.
For the Obange family, the loss is immeasurable, and no law or safety measure can undo the pain of losing 25 loved ones at once.
Their grief stands as a painful reminder that road safety in Kenya remains a crisis that needs urgent and sustained action.
