This archive report was first published on 20 November 2019.
November 20, 2019, will be a day that Anna Kamwela, the paternal grandmother of Anna Zambi, will never forget. It was the day she received the devastating news that her son, Gabriel, and his entire family had perished in flash floods.
Anna's grandson, Anna Zambi, was a form 4 candidate who had sat for her KCPE exams. She was unaware of the tragedy that had befallen her family as she went about her daily routine.
Speaking to Global TV, Anna Kamwela recounted the events leading up to the tragedy. She had spoken to her son, Gabriel, a day before his death, and he had promised to return home to thank the community for their support in burying his father in November.
'I had talked to my son, and he told me he would come back home to thank the people in the community for having helped bury his dad in November,' Anna Kamwela said. 'I called him, but he did not receive the call, so I called the wife, who told me how happy she was to hear my voice. She then told me we would see each other later once schools closed.'
Anna added that she had tried to contact her son several times after that, but he was always unavailable. 'That was the last time we spoke, every time I called them, they were mteja,' she said. 'I talked to my grandkids and told them that I had tried to contact my son, and he was unavailable. That was unlike him because he always picks my calls. So I started wondering if maybe he was sick.'
It was only when Anna's pastor asked her to go home with him on Sunday that she was informed about the deaths. 'I refused to believe the news, and my grandkid grabbed the phone, and I lost consciousness after that,' Anna said.
