A somber cloud hangs over the family of Maj. (Rtd) Solomon Obange, former Head of Security at Parliament, and Dr. Dick Obange of Maseno University, after losing 25 family members in a tragic Kisumu crash.
The accident occurred on Friday evening at the Coptic Roundabout along the Kisumu-Kakamega Road, shattering an entire extended family.
What began as a solemn journey home from a burial in Nyahera turned into a nightmare when their bus, carrying 61 passengers, lost control, collided with roadside structures, and overturned, leaving the country in shock and mourning.
Kisumu Tragic Crash Kills 25, Leaving Former Parliament Security Chief’s Family Devastated
The Friday evening accident has been described as one of the deadliest road tragedies in Kisumu County’s history. The bus was ferrying family members from a burial in Kisumu West sub-county to Nyakach when disaster struck.
According to police reports, the driver appeared to lose control while negotiating the busy Coptic Roundabout. The vehicle veered off its lane, crashed into multiple structures, and overturned, trapping several passengers inside. Eyewitnesses recalled the deafening impact and chaotic scenes as survivors screamed for help.
Emergency responders, including the Kenya Red Cross, the County Government of Kisumu, and the National Police Service, rushed to the site. Victims were immediately transported to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH).
Initially, 21 deaths were confirmed. However, JOOTRH later updated the figure to 25 as more succumbed to their injuries. Thirty-three others were treated for multiple fractures, head injuries, and internal bleeding.
Internal Security Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, in an official statement on X, expressed deep sorrow and pledged full government support to the bereaved family. “No words are sufficient to express our sorrow as we mourn with the family. We will extend all necessary support in collaboration with the County Government and JOOTRH,” he stated.
President William Ruto also conveyed his condolences, ordering traffic enforcement officers to intensify road safety operations to prevent further tragedies.
Calls for accountability and road safety reforms grow louder
The Kisumu tragic crash has reignited debate over Kenya’s road safety record. Official data shows that more than 4,000 people die on Kenyan roads annually, with many of these accidents linked to speeding, reckless driving, and poor vehicle maintenance.
Traffic safety experts have pointed out that the Coptic Roundabout has been the site of several fatal crashes in recent years, calling for urgent redesigns and installation of speed-reducing measures.
Public outrage has also been directed at long-standing issues such as lax traffic enforcement, poor driver training, and corruption in the inspection of public service vehicles.
Parliamentarians from the Nyanza region have vowed to push for new legislation to ensure commercial passenger vehicles meet stricter safety standards. They are also demanding a special inquiry into the Kisumu accident to determine whether mechanical failure, driver fatigue, or overloading played a role.
For the Obange family, however, no policy change can erase the pain of losing 25 loved ones in a single day. Their tragedy serves as a grim reminder that road accidents in Kenya remain a public health and governance crisis—one that demands immediate, sustained, and accountable action.
