Students from three institutions held vigils to condole with their comrades from Pwani University mourning campus mates who perished in a grisly road accident in Naivasha. 

Nyeri National Polytechnic, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology and Karatina University students lit candles arranged to spell out the name Pwani University surrounded by a heart.

A Pwani University bus was headed to Eldoret on Thursday, March 30 when the accident occurred. The bus collided with a 14-seater matatu at the Kayole bridge on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway. The accident claimed 18 lives, 12 of who were from the Pwani University that is in Kilifi county.

At the Karatina University more than 200 students and academic staff participated in the night vigil.

Elsie Bartera, vice chairperson of the student governing council at Karatina University told KNA that she and her fellow student leaders and governing council had organised the candle-lighting ceremony to show solidarity with their fellow comrades.

“It is a painful ordeal to lose a friend or a classmate, so our fellow comrades need all the support to help them mourn. With the help of the staff and a turn out of almost three quarters of the student population we were able to have a candle-lighting ceremony at the premises of both the school of business and the main campus at around 7 pm yesterday,” she said.

Irene Kavale, the student organisation vice chairperson at the Dedan Kimathi University, said that 500 turned up for the 6pm vigil.

“As the DEKUT student council, we planned the vigil to show Pwani University students that we stand with them during this difficult time and we also mourn the loss of those who have passed on,” she said.

Njoki Wanja, the Nyeri National Polytechnic Catholic Association chairperson, said that at their school the students’ welfare organisation and council with support from the school administration held the event at the school’s main gate from 7pm and 8pm, with almost half the school’s population and some staff in attendance.