Emotions run high in Gatundu as relatives who died in grisly Naivasha crash are buried
Emotions ran high in Gatundu South on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, as four relatives who tragically lost their lives in a road accident in Karai Naivasha were laid to rest in Gaturiamaru Village, Kiganjo.
The funeral proceedings began at Kenyatta Funeral Home along Thika Road, where the bodies were collected and prepared for transportation.
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The procession of vehicles made its way to Ndundu Primary School, where the memorial service was held.
In videos shared on social media by YouTuber Kururia, Catholic priests of various levels were seen praying fervently inside the mortuary as family members clung to one another, visibly overwhelmed by grief, after the hospital’s management cleared the bodies for burial.
During the memorial service, the family’s only remaining child, a 10-year-old girl, delivered an emotional speech, recounting the uncertainty she now faces after the tragic loss of her immediate family.
“To my beloved family, I want to say that we will miss our dad. He used to call us all good names, and it is indeed a sorrowful thing. We are in pain. This loss is not easy for us, but we keep pressing on because God is with us. I stand here with a heavy heart,” she said.
Attendees were visibly shaken, breaking down on multiple occasions as grief enveloped the gathering.
The deceased father, James Njoroge Kabari, was a catechist at St Mary Catholic Church in Ridgeways, and his colleagues from the church played a central role during the service.
Priests lined up around the coffin, carried the cross, delivered heartfelt speeches, and performed emotional songs to honour his life and service.
The caskets of Njoroge’s wife, Teresia Wanjiru, and their two children, Mike Kabari and John Mark, had huge bouquets of white flowers adorned atop them alongside a white cloth that hid their brown and white colours.
The funeral was attended by several prominent leaders, including Embu Catholic Diocese Bishop Peter Kimani, Principal Secretary for Correctional Services Salome Beacco, Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe, Juja MP George Koimburi, and former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, who joined locals in offering condolences.
They were travelling home to Gilgil when the Matatu they were in was struck by a speeding bus along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway.
Their 10-year-old child and the family’s house-help were the only survivors of the collision.
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Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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