MERU, KENYA – Mellisa Makena, the young daughter of Meru County Assembly Deputy Speaker Mwenda Ali, was killed in a devastating head-on collision on Tuesday along the Meru-Embu road.
The Deputy Speaker himself was seriously injured in the crash, which occurred when his Subaru Legacy collided with a Toyota double cabin pick-up truck at Kivwe in Embu County.
Ali sustained a deep cut on his forehead and a dislocated left knee, and is currently hospitalized at Ena Hospital.
Ali’s driver, Michael Mwongera, and another young girl aged around 2 years old, were also hurt in the tragic accident. The victims were rushed to Ena Hospital for emergency treatment.
The cause of the horrific head-on collision is still under investigation by local authorities. However, initial reports suggest one of the vehicles may have veered across the centerline into oncoming traffic.
The devastating news has sent shockwaves through Meru County, where the Deputy Speaker is a prominent figure. Leaders from across the political spectrum have sent condolences and prayers to Ali and his family during this extremely difficult time.
The deadly crash is the latest in a series of road tragedies that have sparked urgent calls for improved road safety measures and infrastructure upgrades across the country. Just last month, a bus overturned on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, killing over a dozen passengers.