A 9-year-old boy in Murang’a County is being hailed as a hero after his quick thinking helped save nine victims of the tragic Kiama River road crash on Saturday in Gatanga.
Boniface Njoroge, a Grade 3 student at Gatunguru Primary School, was in the company of his father and mother when he managed to jump out of the ill-fated matatu as it was sinking into the river and ran to the nearest shopping centre to call for help.
His mother, Alice Wangeshi, says that when the vehicle plunged into the river, water began to fill it. She thought she had lost her son, but little did she know it was the boy’s actions that would save them.
Boniface’s father, Paul Karanja, was among six people, five from one family, who died after the 14-seater matatu they were travelling in plunged into the river.
Murang’a County Commissioner Charles Muriithi said the five family members who perished were returning from a dowry negotiation event in Kiambu County.
“The accident occurred at around midnight along the Chomo–Kahunyu Road. The injured were rushed to Kirwara Level Four and Murang’a Level Five hospitals,” he said.
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