Three Safaricom employees have died after the car they were traveling in lost control and rolled several times along Embu-Kiritiri Road.

While confirming the incident, Embu West subcounty police commander Julius Kyumbule said the staff were on their daily routine noting they suspect that the victims were sellers of credit cards and offer other services for the company in the county.

The subcounty police boss said the driver and other two occupants who were seated on driver's seat died on the spot with other five occupants who were in the vehicle sustaining serious injuries.

Locals who responded immediately to rescue the survivors had hard time because the occupants were trapped in the wreckage.

"The Safaricom staff who we suspect are sales persons were moving from Embu town to Kiritiri then upon reaching Donbosco it is when the accident occurred. Three died on spot and other five sustained serious injuries," Kyumbule said.

He said the injured were rushed to Embu Level Five Hospital for treatment and the deceased's bodies were taken to the same hospital morgue awaiting identification.

Kyumbule also urged drivers to be keen while on the road to avert such accidents.

He said investigations have been launched to ascertain circumstances under which the accident occurred.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT

Five people have died in a road accident at Mtito Andei along Mombasa-Nairobi highway. They were on board Kinatwa Prestige matatu.

Five more sustained injuries when the accident occurred on Sunday afternoon. This was after a lorry collided with a matatu.

The injured were rushed to Makindu Level Four Hospital for treatment.

Among those who died in the accident were three children. The accident happened at Kanga area in Tsavo.

Kibwezi Sub County police commander George Kisimiri confirmed to the media that the accident occurred after a head on collision between the matatu and a lorry.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT

 A multiagency team has arrested an alien who was travelling to Garissa without any movement documents.

While confirming the incident, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said in an OB seen by Mwingi Times that one Jalata Abdi Hassan, a 23-year-old Ethiopian man was travelling in a vehicle christened Alma REG. NO KCG 846Z. 

The vehicle was travelling from Nairobi heading to Garissa. Police said Mr Hassan was a refugee at Kakuma Camp.

Police will investigate the incident further. “Traveling to Garissa without any movement documents. He has been placed in police cells pending profiling and verification of documents”, reads the police OB dated 30/05/2022.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT

THE Director of Meteorological Services Stella Aura has said that there will be enhanced rains expected over the highlands West of Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, Central and South Rift Valley, the North West, the Highlands East of the Rift Valley (including Nairobi County) and the South-eastern lowlands.

Ukambani Counties are located in the South-eastern lowlands. This month has witnessed high temperatures in Kitui County with Mwingi region recording up to 32 degrees Celsius. Tseikuru recorded a high of 34 degrees celcius. This was during the afternoon period of 12pm to 2pm. This has been forecast to continue.

Kenya Meteorological Department, KMD says all Ukambani Counties and most of the country will experience warmer than average temperature. This excludes the Lake Victoria region.

The Meteorological Department forecasts near average rainfall over the North Eastern and the Coastal regions.

Most parts of the country received below average rains from October to December 2021. This was characterised with delay of start of seasonal rains.

“The distribution of the short rains was uneven spatially across the country and the temporal distribution was poor”, says the Met Department in a report obtained by Mwingi Times.

It forecasts that the South-eastern Lowlands (Kajiado, Kitui, Makueni, Machakos and parts of Tana River and Taita Taveta) will received near to slightly above the long-term average amounts for the March-April-May- season.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES TEAM

 Three people have died on the spot after a Probox vehicle hit a sand truck from behind at Katangini village in Katutu in Kitui County. The accident happened along Kabati-Thika road.

Morning fog contributed to the accident along Thika road. This is according to an eye witness.

“A sand truck is parked on the side of the road. It was coming from Katutu to Thika. The Probox hit the truck from behind and rolled.”

Police have arrived at the accident scene to investigate the cause of the crash. The two vehicles were taken to Kabati police station.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT, EDITED By MUSYOKA NGUI

 Kenya Power and Lighting Company has written a letter to Embu County Health CEC saying that the Governor Wambora-led county had a pending power bill of KSh15,301,963.89 for the Embu County Public Health facilities.

In a letter written on January 10 seen by Mwingi Times, Kenya Power says it will switch off the facilities on January 13, 2022 if the bills will not be settled by then.

STORY By MUSYOKA NGUI, EDITED By BONIFACE MWANIKI

 TWO middle-aged men were lynched by angry residents of Mwingi town after they were caught having stolen six goats.

 

Their bodies were set on fire afterwards.

A resident told Mwingi Times that the alleged thieves’ charred bodies were found by police behind Kwa Kyalo hospital.

STORY By MUSYOKA NGUI, EDITED By BONIFACE MWANIKI

 A bus that plies Mwingi-Nairobi route has caught fire while it was parked in Garissa Stage in Mwingi town this evening.

 When reached out by Mwingi Times for comment, Shadrack Ilava, a TV reporter based in Mwingi town confirmed that indeed it was true but has been extinguished.

At around 912pm, a resident told us that Alma Bus had caught fire. This made our editors rush to confirm the story.

No one was injured.

“Yes. The fire started from the back seats section and passengers were escaping through the windows to save their lives”, he told Mwingi Times at around 930pm.

STORY By MUSYOKA NGUI, EDITED By BONIFACE MWANIKI

 Mrs Edith Mawia Malombe, wife to the first Kitui County Governor Julius Malombe has died.

Confirming her passing on, the family said Edith died on December 7 after a short illness. Funeral and burial arrangements will be communicated in due course, said Malombe’s family.

“It is with profound sadness that we the family of Dr Julius Makau Malombe, the pioneer Governor of Kitui County, announce the passing on of Mrs Edith  Mawia Malombe on 7^th December 2021 after a short illness” read a message from the family in part.

The former First Lady was a High Court Advocate.

Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu has led leaders in mourning the Tuesday night death of lawyer Edith Mawia who is the wife of former Governor Julius Makau Malombe.

Among those who sent their condolence messages on Wednesday were Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua, his predecessor David Musila, Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu, Kitui Senatorial aspirants Stephen Kilonzo and Allan Silla as well as the deceased’s professional colleagues Eric Mutua, Morris Kimuli and Muthusi Kitonga.

Family sources said Edith who was an advocate of the High Court of Kenya died at the Karen Hospital in Nairobi at around 8 pm on Tuesday night where she had been rushed after developing breathing complications. She had recently undergone surgery at the same facility.

A social media post by Ferdinand Kathenge who is close to the family on Wednesday morning said "It is with profound sadness that We the family of Dr. Julius Makau Malombe, the pioneer Governor of Kitui County, announce the passing on of Mrs Edith Mawia Malombe on 7th December 2021 after a short illness."    

It added that funeral and burial arrangements would be communicated in due course and that the family had asked for prayers during this trying time of mourning.  

The late Edith, an advocate of the High Court of Kenya was visible and active with the activities of her family Kyeni Foundation that offered humanitarian support in Kitui when her husband was governor between 2013 and 2017.  

Ngilu said she learned of the passing on of Mama Edith Mawia Malombe with profound shock and sadness. 

Condolences

“On behalf of the County Government and all people of Kitui as well as on my own behalf, I wish to convey our heartfelt condolences to Dr. Julius Malombe and the family, to the Ithiani community, and to all relatives and friends of the family.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family as they go through this most difficult and painful moment. Mama Edith was an extremely brilliant and compassionate person and a rock of the Malombe family,” said Ngilu’s message.

 The governor added that for the period that she was First Lady of Kitui County she inspired great hope and ambition in many women- young and old. 

“Her charity work through the Kyeni Foundation which she pioneered went a long way to redress gaps in reproductive health services and information here in Kitui County and beyond. Death has robbed Kitui County of one of its most brilliant daughters,” added Ngilu.

Senator Wambua said he prayed that God would wipe tears and comfort the great people of Kitui County at this time of successive calamities.

“As we mourn the passing on of our people in the Enziu River tragedy and mourn the passing on of our four children who drowned in Mwaani, Makongo (Kitui East); we have lost our pioneer First Lady Mrs Edith Malombe,” mourned the Senator.

He prayed that God would continue to giving comfort and strength to the bereaved families to deal with the devastating loss of their dear ones. 

“To the families of the loved ones we have lost, poleni sana. May the Lord our God continue to give you comfort and strength to deal with the devastating loss of dear ones,” said Wambua.

He vowed to continue praying for the affected families and supporting where possible during this difficult time. He asked them to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

On his part Musila personally reached out to the former governor on phone and conveyed his heartfelt condolences.  He prayed that God would give the bereaved family strength to bear with the loss of the family pillar.

MP Mulu said that it was with much sorrow and on behalf of his family and the people of Kitui Central where the Malombe family hails from, he conveyed his condolences. He prayed that God would give the bereaved family fortitude to bear the loss of an invaluable member.

Kitui senate hopeful Kilonzo said, “it's with profound shock and disbelief that I learned of the passing on of the renowned Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and former Kitui County First Lady Edith Mawia after a short illness. 

Saying he was a close friend of the Malombes, Kilonzo lamented what he described as a dark and sad day to the family, relatives, friends, Kitui County and the Nation at large. He passed his condolences to Dr. Malombe, the children and entire family. 

Mutua a former LSK president mourned the losing of a senior professional colleague.  He said the law profession has been hit hard by her untimely death especially in conveyance matters and leadership. Conveying his condolences, Mutua added she upheld professionalism and was pivotal in decision making at policy level.

Edith’s professional colleague Morris Kimuli said he was deeply saddened by the sudden death of Edith Malombe. 

“Edith was sociable and personable and she served with remarkable grace as the First Lady of Kitui County.

As a lawyer, she was a thoroughbred, consummate and erudite corporate law consultant and trainer. She will be greatly missed within the legal and corporate circles,” said Kimuli.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES TEAM, EDITED By MUSYOKA NGUI