Bonded to death: Cousins' bond in life leads them to die together
Cousins Samuel Ndiba, 24, Sarah Cheptoo, 18, and Mercy Muthoni, 18, died at the same spot following a road accident involving their motorcycle and a police truck.
Their strong bond even baffled family members. Cousins Samuel Ndiba, 24, Sarah Cheptoo, 18, and Mercy Muthoni, 18, were rarely apart and always found time to be together.
For years, the trio warmed up to each other and went hiking together in their free time. They were inseparable.
They were like Siamese twins, joined at the hip. There was a natural chemistry that kept them glued together.
They seldom left each other's side and, sadly, they died at the same spot following a road accident involving their motorcycle and a police truck.
Last Thursday, after Cheptoo and Muthoni, who studied at Nyonjoro Secondary School, went home for the holidays, they were joined by Ndiba.
“The three decided to visit their aunt, who resided in Kinungi. Their other cousin was waiting for them,” said their uncle, Paul Njoroge Gitau.
Fatal crash
Their excursion was cut short by an accident on the Naivasha-Nairobi highway after their motorcycle was hit by the police lorry.
“Two of them died on the spot, while the third victim succumbed to her injuries while being rushed to Naivasha Sub-County Hospital,” said Naivasha Police Commander Samuel Waweru.
Their uncle said his nephew, a flower farm worker, was riding the motorbike at the time of the incident.
Mr Gitau said the family learnt about the accident after their impatient aunt placed a call to her nephew.
“A man at the scene answered the call, informing my sister that the owner of the mobile phone was involved in a serious accident and had been rushed to hospital,” he said.
It was only hours later that they established that the three had perished in the grisly crash, throwing the close-knit family into mourning.
“It is devastating … We are yet to come to terms with what happened. It is really painful,” Mr Gitau said.
News of the deaths shocked Karati village as those familiar with the inseparable trio tried to come to terms with their sudden deaths.
The Nation caught up with family members at the Naivasha Sub-County Hospital mortuary, where they were waiting for postmortems to be conducted. They were distraught, with calls from inquisitive relatives jolting them into reality.
“Ni uchungu … it is really hurting,” mumbled Mr Gitau.
The mourning uncle scrolled through his phone, shaking his head in disbelief. He fished out a picture of the three having a great time together on their usual outings.
“Despite their closeness, dying together is a hard blow to take,” he said.
“The three used to take photos together whenever time allowed. They were like inseparable twins,” added their other cousin, Samuel Ndiba.
He said the three cousins were bright and made good grades in school.
“We had a lot of hope in them but the cruel hand of death has snatched them from us,” he said.
Mr Ndiba said the deaths had taken a great toll on the family, especially their grandmother, who loved them dearly.
He said the three will be buried in the same grave on Thursday, December 1.
“In life they were inseparable … in death, they will remain inseparable,” Mr Ndiba said.
Area Chief Samuel Ng’ang’a summed up the depressing moments, saying the news was a shock to villagers.
“It is the first time such a thing has happened in this area. They had friends who were hit hard by their deaths,” he said.
