A family in Kilifi is devastated after the death of their daughter in the Nithi River bridge bus accident that claimed the lives of 34 people.

Dr. Mary Mwandisha, who graduated with a Bachelor in Medicine from the University of Nairobi in 2020, was traveling from Meru to Voi in Taita-Taveta County when the ill-fated bus belonging to Modern Coast company crashed on Sunday evening.

Her family says the deceased was going to collect an appointment letter after she secured a job as a doctor with the Taita-Taveta County government.

“I spoke to my daughter on Sunday around 4.00 pm and she informed me that she was traveling to Voi from Meru. She had applied for the medical job in Taita-Taveta and emerged successful,” her mother Angelina Mwandisha told Nation in an interview.

The mother said her daughter had planned to travel back to Meru on Monday night for clearance at her place of work before reporting to her new station in Voi. Dr. Mwandisha, 28, had worked at Lifetime Hospital in Meru for three months.

“She told me as usual she would send a text message on arrival in Voi. She had estimated she would be there at around 2.00 am or 3.00 am. The text is yet to come,” the tearful mother said.

Angelina says she sensed something was amiss when she tried to reach her daughter on the phone but she was unavailable.

“I could not get any sleep. I tried to call her but all her two lines were not going through. I tried to call her again at 6.00 am but she was still not reachable,” she said.

The distraught mother said her daughter’s death is even more painful because she had just secured a well-paying government job. 

“I am bitter. My daughter had secured a government job and died before she picked up the appointment letter. I love that baby. It is too painful for me because she was the only daughter I had after the death of her sister,” she grieved.