In a heartbreaking development, Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai announced on July 20, 2025, the tragic loss of his mother, Dorcas Kanini Mbai, who died in a road accident along the Nairobi-Garissa Highway near Kithimani in Machakos County.
The Nimrod Mbai mother’s death, confirmed via an emotional social media post, has prompted an outpouring of condolences from political leaders; however, the death has prompted mockery and ridicule after previous Mbai’s statements.
Kitui East Member of Parliament Nimrod Mbai is grappling with profound grief following the sudden death of his mother, Dorcas Kanini Mbai, in a tragic road accident on Sunday, July 20, 2025.
The fatal crash occurred mid-morning at Kithimani along the busy Thika-Garissa Highway, where a Toyota Probox carrying three occupants, two women and a male driver, lost control and plunged into the notorious Yatta Canal.
Dorcas, identified as the female passenger who died instantly, was mourned by Mbai in a heartfelt Facebook post: “God, who gives, has taken away. Rest in peace, Mama. You were loved beyond words and will be deeply missed.” The two other occupants were rushed to a hospital in Kithimani with critical injuries.
The Nimrod Mbai mother’s death has cast a sombre shadow over Kitui East, with condolences pouring in from across Kenya’s political spectrum.
Mwala MP Vincent Kawaya described Dorcas as a “woman of grace and strength,” while UDA’s Lower Eastern Regional Coordinator, Vincent Kavaayi, expressed solidarity with the Mbai family.
Other leaders offered prayers, stating, “Sincere condolences to Hon. Nimrod Mbai. Rest in peace.”
Preliminary investigations suggest the crash resulted from the driver losing control, possibly due to overspeeding or poor road design, as a local eyewitness told Channel 15 News.
The Yatta Canal, where the vehicle plunged, is a known danger spot, with a resident noting a similar accident occurred previously due to a “bump-like corrugation” at the bridge.
Police have launched an investigation to establish the exact circumstances, but it remains unclear whether Dorcas was travelling alone or with others at the time.
The incident adds to a troubling pattern of road accidents in the region, with The Standard reporting six schoolchildren killed on the Kibwezi-Kitui road in September 2024, showing the need for urgent infrastructure upgrades.
Mbai, a polarising figure in Kenyan politics, has faced public scrutiny in the past, notably for a 2023 incident where he was caught on camera assaulting a Kenya Power engineer over an illegal power line disconnection at his Kitengela home.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) summoned him for breaching integrity laws, though Mbai claimed self-defence. His earlier controversial remarks against Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu in 2017 also drew backlash.
Despite these incidents, Mbai’s emotional response to his mother’s death has humanised the legislator leaders, emphasising community support during this difficult time.
Dorcas Kanini Mbai, fondly remembered as a loving matriarch, leaves behind a legacy of warmth, as reflected in condolence messages shared on social media.
“My heartfelt condolences to the family of Mbai and Kitui East at large. We have lost a caring and loving mommy,” wrote a local leader on Facebook.
Kitui East MP Mjinga Nimrod Mai: You have the freedom of speech but we are not going to assure you of your freedom after speech pic.twitter.com/d6HouzAN41
— PropesaTV (@PropesaTV) July 21, 2025
People online mocked his mother’s death after the MP said people have freedom before speech, but nobody guarantees freedom after speech. Now the same sentence has been trending, twisted by his mother’s death.
The same happened with Dagorretti MP Beatrice Elachi after losing her son. Elachi told Gen Z, “If you don’t like Kenya, you can leave.” Later, her son passed on, and Gen Z mocked her son’s death, citing that he had heeded his mother’s advice to leave the country.
Public reactions on Nimrod Mbai’s Mother death
😂😂I like it when people on here want us to sympathize with these crooked aholes who steal from the public and brush off citizen deaths like it's nothing
— Mk (@Baariu_Mk) July 21, 2025
I feel sorry for the infrastructure which was destroyed during her parking. As a country we can't tolerate destruction of public properties like this. She is alive right?
— Firstborn Wa Siah (@Fan_Sugu) July 21, 2025
Kupark gari hivi kwani ni makosa? Mlisema you can live by accident but we cannot guarantee life after the accident? Now I understand.
— Mskule (@MskuleMkenya) July 21, 2025
Mbona watu wanajifanya saints huku na wakati wa protest vile mlikua mnacurse hao politicians wenu, mbwa nyinyi emotional retards, hakuna mtu hatakufa.
— Marikomi⚔️★ (@Wt_hellyante) July 21, 2025
Illegal littering and dumping. Hauwezi weka gari kwa mtaro. Mefi ita pitia wapi
— MORIO ANZENZA 𓃵 (@PRINCE_DON_MULA) July 21, 2025
Mbona mtu azuie drainage kupita? Kwani alitaka kuua watu na floods? 😳
— Enock Bett (@ThisIsBett) July 21, 2025
Wakikufa tunasherekea. Kwani Iko nini. Si ata hao wanasherekea comrades wakikufa.
— Adah K Adagala (@Adah_KadagALa) July 21, 2025
