Among those who were killed were 11 GSU officers whose car was hit by the speeding lorry. “The fatalities included 11 officers from the General Service Unit (GSU) who provide VIP protection, including to His Excellency the President,” read a statement by State House spokesperson Manoah Esipisu.
There was a moment of panic as security personnel moved in to contain the situation and recover all the guns that the GSU officers were carrying. For over three hours, the road was rendered impassable as fire fighters from Naivasha sub-county officers moved in to contain the fire.
Mangled wrecks some on fire and with bodies trapped inside were spread along the highway as relatives and members of the public tried to come to terms with the incident. Emotions ran high as those affected including senior government offices moved to the scene with a view of assisting or helping those involved.
A relative only identified as Simon wept uncontrollably as he narrated how he lost his mother, wife and brother in the tragedy. "We were on our way to Nairobi from Subukia when a lorry hit us head on before bursting into flames and I was thrown out and watched as they were burnt to death," he said.