Reverend Francis Mwangi, 61, emotionally led a prayer for his family before they all left Mombasa after their Easter holiday trip.

Little did his family know that this would be the last prayer he makes in his 20 year service as a pastor.

In keeping with his tradition of leading the family's last prayers over the years, the man who has never cried prayed emotionally for his family before they left to return to Nakuru.

"It was a tradition for my brother to lead us in prayer whenever we left on our travels and he never cried during the prayer but this time he was unusually emotional during the prayer and cried so much," says Joseph Ng'ang'a of his late elder brother.

The Reverend, the second born in the family, was a husband and a pillar of the Bible Truth Revival Ministries Church in Kiririkania, Kuresoi South.

Pastor Regina Muthoni Ngige of the Bible Truth Revival Ministries Church eulogised the late pastor as a joyful and dedicated person, adding that the church had lost an influential man in the community.

"He was a faithful servant, dedicated and committed man of God. He was a very good evangelist who moved from place to place, planting three more churches and bringing lost souls back to the church. His loss is a great loss to us," said Pastor Ngige.

Pastor Mwangi was among the six family members who were travelling in a Nissan car before they were killed in a tragic road accident in Salama area along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway on Monday night.

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The Nissan was one of three vehicles in which the family had travelled to their aunt's home in Mombasa for the Easter holidays - a trip they had planned last year during the December holidays when they met.

According to Diana Ng'anga, Mr Ng'anga's wife, it is the family's tradition to get together twice a year for the Easter and Christmas holidays and this time was no different until tragedy struck the family.

"It has always been our tradition as a family to get together twice a year, over the Easter and Christmas holidays. This time was no different and once we arrived and settled in, we had a great time reminiscing about our childhood," said Mrs Ng'ang'a.

The family is now appealing to well-wishers to help them raise funds to pay for their loved ones' hospital bills and funeral arrangements, which will take place on 10 April 2024.

"Our biggest challenge at the moment is to raise funds for the hospital bill and funeral arrangements. We are appealing to well-wishers and local leaders to help us raise over three million shillings to give our relatives a befitting send-off and take care of our members who are still hospitalised," said Jesse Manyara, the family's brother-in-law.

Currently, six other family members are still in hospitals in Nakuru, Nairobi and Eldoret counties.

According to police reports, the collision caused a spill and three other vehicles collided, bringing the number of casualties to five and the death toll to ten, including the driver of the Nissan who died on the spot.

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Leleti Jassor