Just days after the deadly Nithi Bridge accident that involved a modern coast bus leading to the deaths of 35 people, a man has come out to narrate how he narrowly escaped the incident by just having lunch.
On the fateful day, Douglas Kimathi, a teacher by profession, was to board the ill-fated modern coast at Meru town. He was heading to Kibwezi for an interview(Maths and Chemistry teaching job) at a certain secondary school, after being a successful applicant in a recent TSC recruitment exercise.
He had an option of attending an interview at Kaaga girls in Meru, but opted for the Kibwezi one which he believed stood a better chance of securing employment.
The interviews were to take place on Monday and that is why he chose to travel a day before to arrive at his destination in time.
That Sunday, he arrived at Ngundune market to wait for the modern Coast bus since he had already made bookings earlier but the bus was taking longer to arrive at the stage yet the pangs of hunger were seriously biting him.
“I was to be there. That is what is shocking me. It was just a narrow escape. I had not eaten since morning, I was going for an interview in Kibwezi but my names, in the ID and the certificates, are not concurrent so I had to get an affidavit before heading to Kibwezi. I had not gotten a chance to eat. On reaching Ngundune Market I decided to have some lunch,” Kimathi recounted in an interview with Public News.
While having lunch, the modern coast came and left him because he was not at the station as expected. He however took a motorbike and chased after the bus only to catch up with it at Meru town but the tout treated him rudely telling him that he had already sold his ticket and therefore he could not be allowed in the modern coast bus.
“He(tout) however gave me the option of Vanga bus, they are of the same company, so I didn’t have to pay bus fare for a second time. I unwillingly boarded Vanga in Meru town little did I know that the modern coast bus won’t get anywhere, the conductor and his driver were gone(dead) yet I have his number,” Kimathi narrated.
When they came to Nithi Bridge, Tharaka Nithi, they found that the modern coast bus had been involved in a fatal accident and people had died.
“They were ahead of us by around 5 minutes, when we got to the bridge we embarked on a rescue mission as I told myself I could have been one of them,” Kimathi said.
He is grateful for the second chance in life such that he is considering becoming a pastor.
RELATED STORY:“Ile Ya Nne Ilimshinda” Survivor Narrates Events Before The Ill-fated Modern Coast Bus Plunged Into River Nithi
