A joyous wedding celebration in Kitui has turned into a heartbreaking tragedy after the bride-to-be and three family members died in a grisly road accident.
Jackline Kasau, 42, a dedicated teacher at St. Mary’s Kinyambu Secondary School, was set to walk down the aisle next Saturday. Instead, her family is now preparing for her burial alongside those of her 10-year-old daughter, her mother-in-law, and a neighbour who also perished in the crash.
The accident occurred on Saturday night along the Kitui–Kibwezi road as the group was returning home from Kitui town, where they had attended Jackline’s colourful dowry payment ceremony earlier in the day.
“She was my eldest sister, and we had just finished celebrating a wonderful dowry event filled with joy and laughter,” her sister recalled tearfully.
“They left home at around 7 pm, but by Sunday morning, we were awakened by a devastating phone call telling us about the accident. The wedding was only days away, and now we are planning funerals.”
Police reports indicate that the victims were travelling in two separate vehicles when tragedy struck the one carrying Jackline. The driver is suspected to have been speeding before losing control, causing the vehicle to roll several times.
Only one passenger survived the crash and is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Kibwezi.
The deaths have plunged the family, friends, and the wider community into shock, struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss during what was meant to be a week of celebration.
