A sombre mood filled the International Christian Centre (ICC) on Mombasa Road on Friday as family members, friends, and mourners gathered for a requiem mass in honour of three siblings who died in a tragic road accident earlier this month.
The service brought together loved ones to pay their last respects to Njeri DeLeon, Emmanuel DeLeon, and Kairo Winkelpeck, whose three caskets were placed at the front of the church.
Tragic Accident on Nairobi–Nakuru Highway
The three children lost their lives following a fatal crash along the Nairobi–Nakuru highway on January 4, 2026. Emmanuel and six-year-old Kairo died at the scene of the accident, while their elder sister, 16-year-old Njeri, succumbed to her injuries days later while receiving treatment at a Nairobi hospital, where she had been placed in a medically induced coma.
The family, which resides in Waterloo, Iowa, United States, had travelled to Kenya for the holiday season when the tragedy occurred.
Their parents survived the crash with minor injuries and have remained in Kenya to coordinate funeral arrangements.
Outpouring of Support
The heartbreaking incident has sparked an outpouring of sympathy and support in both Kenya and the United States. A GoFundMe fundraiser established to assist the family has raised over $70,888, with hundreds of donors sharing messages of condolence.
During the requiem mass, speakers described the loss as “unimaginable,” offering prayers and words of comfort to the grieving parents and extended family.
Later on Friday, the bodies of the three children were scheduled to be cremated at the Kariokor Hindu Crematorium, marking a final farewell to siblings remembered for their love, joy, and close bond.