Driver Kang’ethe is among 33 people who have so far been confirmed dead after Mwingi bus plunged into River Enziu on Saturday December 4th.
As news about the tragedy broke, Kang’ethe was condemned as reckless driver who drove passengers into their deaths.
However, it has emerged that Kang’ethe tried his best to save lives only that luck was not on his side that Saturday.
Simon Kea survived the freak accident and lived to tell the tale. He freed himself through the window the moment rivers waters started pushing the bus away.
Kea revealed that prior to the bus attempting to cross the river, the driver had urged the members to remain patient.
Kang’ethe had stayed at the bridge for over 2 hours waiting for the water levels to go down.
Kea stated that the driver told the group that he was not confident in crossing the bridge as he was not familiar with the demographic of the area.
However, after 2 matatus and a lorry managed to cross to the other side safely, the driver gained confidence and drove the choir members to their deaths.
According to Kea, the choir group pressured the driver into making the wrong choice and crossing the river.
The bus was swept by the flooding river within minutes of attempting to cross the bridge, it overturned with the choir members and some stowaway who hopped on to the bus to cross the river.
Justus Musyoka, an official of the Mwingi Catholic Parish who had rushed to the scene after the reports of the tragic accident, says that there had been disagreement between the driver and passengers on the number of people who were to be transported to the wedding.
He said the family forced Kang’ethe to transport more passengers to the wedding than the bus is allowed to carry.
The ill fated bus that plunged into river Enziu in Mwingi was carrying 17 extra passengers, it had a total of 68 people whom most were related.
Kang’ethe has since been eulogized as a brave driver by netizens on social networking platforms since details emerged of how he tried his best to save lives.
“REST IN PEACE Driver Kang’ethe… You tried your best to drive that bus hoping that you successfully cross that overflowing river. But Water Waves overpowered the bus and you lost control of it,” wrote Kamba insights.
Related: River Enziu: The Killer Bridge Which Has Swallowed Many Vehicles In The Past
