The burial of 26 people who perished in a grisly road accident in Kisumu is scheduled for Saturday, August 16, at Koguta village in Nyakach.
A committee overseeing the arrangements is working closely with the affected families to ensure the interment programme runs smoothly.
Committee chairman Vincent Kodera said the government has taken over the entire programme and will meet the costs of mortuary bills, coffins, transport, and medical expenses for the 26 survivors admitted to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH).
A requiem mass for the victims will be held on Thursday at Naki AIC Church in Nyakach, after which the bodies will be transferred to Koguta on Friday for a night vigil.
The burial ceremony will take place at Naki Primary School on Saturday, before families proceed to bury their loved ones.
While acknowledging the government’s support, Kodera said the committee has opened a KCB pay bill number (8010747) to raise funds for the bereaved.
“The government is meeting burial and medical costs, but the situation in this village is dire. Some homes have been wiped clean, leaving children without parents. The pay bill will help support the families during the mourning period and after the burial,” he said.
He noted that the tragedy has devastated the close-knit community, with the furthest-affected household located barely a kilometre away.
“We don’t even know how the night vigil will be conducted. If not controlled, it could be chaotic,” he said.
South East Nyakach MCA Lumumba Owade said the fund had received a major boost from former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who contributed Sh1 million.
He urged Kenyans to donate to the kitty to help families through the mourning period.
Upper Nyakach Assistant County Commissioner Dawin Orina said adequate security personnel had been deployed to ensure the internment programme runs smoothly.
He urged calm, assuring residents that the government would shoulder all costs and provide additional financial support to cushion affected families.
