Emotions ran high in Longonot, Naivasha as six of the eight family members who died in the Mai Mahiu dam tragedy were laid to rest.
The six who included four minors were laid to rest in Longonot public cemetery in an emotional ceremony attended by area MP Jane Kihara and tens of survivors.
Tears were openly shed, hugs exchanged, prayers recited while some of the relatives collapsed as the six bodies were interred in graves next to each other.
For the family of John Mwangi and Mary Muthoni who escaped from the floods, this marked one of the darkest periods as they lost a total of eight members of the family.
The family had met on the eve of the tragedy to raise funds for the release of their son incarcerated in Naivasha GK prison when the seasonal dam burst killing over 60 people.
Those who died included two adults Jane Muthoni and Elizabeth Mugure and five minors Lewis Ngige, Blessing Muthoni, Alvin Njoroge, Mary Muthoni, Owen Kimani and Anne Muthoni.
Already, two of the minors were buried over the weekend in their father’s rural home in Kinangop.
A relative Tabitha Wanja said that they were still trying to come to terms with the incident, having lost all their personal effects, relatives, friends and home.
While thanking the Government and well-wishers for the continued support, she said that they were not ready to go back to their homes as they were still traumatized.
“Over the weekend we buried two children in Kinangop and as we bury the other six, we are calling on the government to hasten the process of resettling us,” she said.
Wanja termed the tragedy as the darkest moments for the family and tens of other victims as they slowly started their recovery journey in the camps.
A counselor Monica Gathure said that it would take over six months for the family to heal under the ongoing counseling programme by various groups including the Kenya Red Cross.
“The loss and grief is a process that takes over six months and we have formed counseling and therapy groups to assist victims of this tragedy,” she said.
On her part, Evangelist Mercy Nungari called for continued support towards the families as many lost several kin and all their personal effects, documents and savings.
“We are calling on the government to keep their promise of resettling these families as they are too traumatized and cannot go back to their homes,” said a local leader Nyaga Ireri.
