Nairobi medical trip that never was: Elderly mother swept by flash floods in Machakos

The journey that was meant to bring healing ended in heartbreak for one family from Makueni County.

What began as a mother’s trip to Nairobi for a medical check-up turned tragic when Dorothy Musango, 73, was swept away by flash floods in Mlolongo, Machakos County, on the evening of October 3, 2025.

Now, her family is left grappling with grief, disbelief, and unanswered questions.

Her son, Jeremiah Musango, recounts the haunting final call he received from his mother moments before she disappeared.

“She was coming to Nairobi for medication when the incident happened,” Jeremiah told The Star on Wednesday.

 “My mother called me saying she had alighted at the Gossip stage in Mlolongo and asked me to go pick her.”

It was raining heavily when the call came through.

Jeremiah says he grabbed an umbrella and rushed to the stage, but she was nowhere to be found.

“I looked around where she had earlier told me she was, but she was nowhere to be seen. Her mobile phone had also gone off,” he recalled.

Nearby, a crowd had gathered to escape the pounding rain. As he searched, a man approached him.

“He asked if I was looking for an elderly woman. I said yes, then he told me the shocking news that a woman had been swept away by flash floods,” Jeremiah said quietly.

He immediately reported the matter to Mlolongo Police Station, and officers launched a search operation that ended in heartbreak when his mother’s lifeless body was found several metres downstream.

Police later transferred the body to Shalom Community Hospital Mortuary in Athi River, where it awaits an autopsy.

The Musango family now faces the painful task of planning her burial while appealing for support from well-wishers and local leaders.

“We are calling for support. My mother’s demise was abrupt, we were never prepared for it,” Jeremiah said. “She had been sick sometime in August. I took her to a hospital in Nairobi where she was treated and given medication. She was returning to the same hospital for a check-up when the tragedy struck.”

Relatives describe Dorothy as a gentle and prayerful woman who loved her family deeply. Her death has become another grim reminder of the devastating toll of flash floods that have ravaged several parts of the country in recent months.

As the family mourns, residents of Mlolongo continue to urge authorities to improve drainage systems to prevent such tragedies from recurring.