Former Parliament Head of Security Maj. (Rtd) Solomon Obange and Maseno University lecturer Dr Dick Obange are reeling from the loss of 25 relatives in a horrific road accident at Coptic Roundabout, Kisumu, on Friday evening.
The victims were among 61 family members travelling from a burial in Nyahera, Kisumu West, to Nyakach when their bus lost control at the busy roundabout. Witnesses said the vehicle veered off course, struck roadside structures, and overturned — a violent crash that has plunged the region into mourning.
Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo sent his condolences, pledging government support to the bereaved family.
“No words are sufficient to express our sorrow as we mourn with the larger Obange family,” PS Omollo wrote on Facebook, assuring assistance in collaboration with the County Government of Kisumu and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH).
Maj. (Rtd) Obange served at Parliament between 2012 and 2014, while Dr Obange is a respected academic — making the loss deeply felt in both national and educational circles.
According to JOOTRH, the initial death toll was 21, with 21 injured. That figure later rose to 25 fatalities, while survivors remain under treatment for varying injuries.
The Kenya Red Cross confirmed it worked alongside county emergency teams and the National Police Service to evacuate 33 injured passengers to JOOTRH for urgent care.
At the hospital, scenes of anguish unfolded as relatives identified bodies and comforted the wounded. Some survivors recalled desperate swerves and screams moments before the crash.
Local leaders have called for a swift investigation, citing Coptic Roundabout’s long-standing reputation as a high-risk black spot. Road safety advocates are urging stricter traffic rule enforcement and improved driver training to avert similar disasters.
As the Obange family begins the painful process of arranging multiple burials, condolences continue to pour in from across Kenya — a testament to a nation united in grief over an unimaginable loss.
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