In just ten days of August 2025, at least 80 people have lost their lives in road accidents across Kenya. One of the deadliest was the Kisumu “Coptic Roundabout” bus accident, which claimed 26 lives in a single moment.
Among those left behind were two young sisters, Valerie Adhiambo and Liz Achieng’, whose mother perished in the crash. Their father had already passed away during COVID-19, leaving them doubly orphaned.
A video of the girls mourning at their mother’s grave quickly went viral. Through uncontrollable sobs, they cried out: “Mum, please reply… even once.” Those words pierced through the noise of the internet and settled in our hearts like daggers. I couldn’t hold back my tears. Their voices remind us, painfully, of the fragility of life and of the urgent need to empower and protect the girl child.
When girls lose their parents, too often they lose more than family. They risk losing access to education, security, and the bright future they deserve.
Empowerment means ensuring that:
- Girls like Valerie and Liz remain in school, no matter what tragedy strikes.
- They receive the psychosocial support they need to heal from trauma.
- They are surrounded by mentors and role models who remind them their dreams are still valid.
- They are given a voice in a society that too often silences or overlooks their pain.
Empowering the girl child is not an act of charity, it is an act of justice. It is about breaking cycles of vulnerability and replacing them with cycles of resilience, dignity, and leadership.
As a country, we cannot stop at mourning. We must act! But how? - Build education safety nets for orphaned and vulnerable girls.
- Strengthen community support systems for caregivers, like the grandmother now raising Valerie and Liz.
- Promote road safety, gender justice, and child protection policies that secure every child’s tomorrow.
Valerie and Liz’s cry is more than grief, it is a call. A call for us to rise together, to ensure that every girl child in Kenya grows up empowered, educated, and safe.
