A US-based diaspora family has lost all three of their children following a road accident in Nakuru County, where they were travelling during a visit to Kenya to support a children’s home in Bungoma County.
The children; Njeri (16), Emmanuel (13), and Kairo (6), were among passengers in a hired public service vehicle involved in a crash near Gilgil on the night of Sunday, January 4.
According to family accounts, the accident occurred as the vehicle they were travelling in attempted to avoid a collision with a trailer along the Nakuru-Gilgil road. Emmanuel died at the scene, while Kairo was pronounced dead after being rushed to hospital. Their sister, Njeri, sustained critical head injuries and was transferred to The Nairobi Hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery before passing away on January 16.
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The trip had been organised as part of the family’s annual visit to support vulnerable children before returning to the United States, where they reside.
Their parents, Wangui and her husband Christopher Winkelpleck, survived the accident with minor injuries. The family had been scheduled to return to their home in Iowa, United States, on January 7.
The tragedy has drawn widespread sympathy from educators, parents, members of the public, and the diaspora community, with a GoFundMe campaign established to support the family. The fundraiser, which has a target of $70,000 ( Ksh 9 million), had raised more than $66,500 (Ksh 8.6 million) by Yesterday, Thursday, January 22, 2026.
A joint memorial service will be held at the International Christian Centre (ICC) on Mombasa Road, after which the children will be cremated.
By Mercy Kokwon
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