When a school bus left Koguta-Katombo village in Nyakach, Kisumu County, for a burial ceremony, six family members did not occupy their seats as planned.

On that fateful Friday, members of Kobungu clan had gathered to travel to Nyahera for the burial of Risper Akeyo Ogendo — a journey of 60 kilometres.

In keeping with tradition and a sense of unity, they hired a bus that belonged to Naki High School and set off for the journey. But six members of the travelling party were late, and they missed their seats on the bus.

By nightfall, the sorrow in Koguta-Katombo village had multiplied beyond measure. The mourners were involved in a fatal accident. Of the 54 clan members who boarded the bus, 26 never made it back home, as fate — cruel and unyielding — had other plans.

For 56-year-old Rose Akeyo, what began as a quiet morning of prayer, tea and funeral preparations turned into chaos.

At her home in Nyakach, she is still grappling with the reality that her husband, John Orinda, is gone.

“My husband had travelled from Nairobi. He arrived around 6am. We prayed together and shared tea. The bus arrived while I was still dressing. My husband boarded the vehicle and told me that there were six vacant seats, so I need not worry,” she recalled.

However, by the time Ms Akeyo was ready, the bus had already left.

“My husband said that they had arranged another small car for those who missed the bus. That is the only reason I was not in the bus. But my husband… he stayed,” she said, her voice trailing off.

The burial was held without an incident, and after that, the Naki School bus was the first to leave Nyahera.

Once again, Ms Akeyo could not secure a seat—this time round because younger relatives boarded the vehicle before her.

While Ms Akeyo and other mourners were still making arrangements for their journey home, whispers began to spread among the women that there had been an accident.

“I asked if anyone had died, but no one knew. We tried to call everyone on the bus, but none answered—including my husband,” she said.

Another mourner, Ms Kezia Atieno, the daughter of George and Jane Nyamita, also survived only because she did not board the ill-fated bus as planned. She instead travelled with her uncle, Mr Gordon Nyamita and his wife in their car.

“We took the Kisumu–Busia Road, driving through Daraja Mbili and down to Kisian. It is a shorter route than the Kisumu–Kakamega Road, though many avoid it because of heavy traffic,” Mr Gordon Nyamita explained.

They arrived home in Nyakach after the funeral at around 6.40pm and thought that they were the first ones to return.

Ms Atieno, 20, only escaped because the bus was full. But survival came at a cruel cost, as the university student lost both her parents.

“By 7 pm, I grew uneasy. The bus had left long before us, yet it had not arrived. My parents’ phones were off, and then someone called with the dreadful news that the bus had crashed,” Ms Atieno said.

Her uncle sighs heavily. “We had wanted to travel together. Some people, like Maurice Amimo (he died in the accident), even left their cars to enter the bus. Now… they are no more. If we ever had a second chance, we would never again travel as one group in a single vehicle,” he said sadly.

The mourners began their return journey via the Kisumu–Kakamega Road, a familiar route. But at the Coptic roundabout, tragedy struck. The crash was catastrophic—26 passengers perished on impact or shortly after from their injuries. Many others were left seriously injured.

For Nyakach residents and the wider region, August 8 will remain a searing reminder of sorrow revisited.

Mr Paul Omollo recalls a similar tragedy that befell a neighbouring clan.

“Early last year, the Ramogi clan suffered a similar fate. They were returning from a family gathering when their vehicle was involved in a ghastly accident, six people died,” he said.

The Friday crash has left Kobungu clan bound not just by tradition, but now also by shared grief—a grief that will echo in Koguta-Katombo for years to come.