First of 5 youths who perished in Detat Nganya crash buried in emotional Murang’a send-off

The first of the five people who lost their lives in the tragic Detat matatu crash in Nairobi has been laid to rest in an emotional burial ceremony held in Murang’a County.

Edwin Kago, popularly known among friends and the matatu culture fraternity as Atassa, was buried on Thursday, June 11, 2026, in a ceremony attended by hundreds of mourners, family members, friends and members of the matatu industry who travelled from Nairobi to pay their final respects.

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The burial was marked by heartbreaking scenes as mourners openly wept while remembering the young man whose life was cut short in the devastating accident involving the popular customised matatu Detat.

Several matatus operating along the CBD-Komarock route joined the funeral procession, creating a moving tribute in honour of Atassa. The colourful convoy made its way through parts of Murang’a as fellow crew members, operators and supporters of Nairobi’s matatu culture gathered to bid him farewell.

Friends described Atassa as a cheerful and hardworking young man whose presence brought life wherever he went. His death has left many struggling to come to terms with the tragedy that claimed the lives of five people.

Grisly accident

The fatal accident occurred on Wednesday night when the popular customised matatu Detat rolled over along Enterprise Road near the Dar es Salaam Roundabout in Nairobi’s Industrial Area.

The 33-seater matatu, which operates on the CBD-Komarock Route 19C under Risen Sacco, was involved in the crash at around 8:00 pm, leaving several people dead and many others injured.

Authorities confirmed that at least five people lost their lives while more than a dozen passengers sustained serious injuries and were rushed to various hospitals for treatment.

Among those who died were Atassa, Ronny, a Huduma Centre employee identified as Whiz, and a female passenger identified as Tamia, who was seated at the front of the vehicle at the time of the crash.

The tragedy attracted nationwide attention after videos recorded moments before the accident surfaced online.

The footage showed passengers enjoying the journey, cheering and waving while music played inside the vehicle, unaware that disaster was only moments away.