For decades, the month of August has carried an ominous weight in Kenya’s national consciousness.
While every month has its share of sorrow, August has been marked again and again by moments of extraordinary loss, violent upheaval and sudden tragedy.
It is a month that Kenyans approach with a sense of unease, shaped by a litany of disasters that have touched politics, security, and everyday life.
22 August 1978 – The Death of a Founding Father
The chain of sorrow begins in 1978. On 22 August, Kenya lost its founding father, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. His death in Mombasa brought the country to a standstill.
Days of mourning followed, as the nation grappled with the passing of a leader who had steered it from colonial rule to independence. The solemn transition of power to Daniel arap Moi was overshadowed by grief and uncertainty.
1 August 1982 – The Coup Attempt
Four years later, on 1 August 1982, the country was rocked by a failed coup attempt led by elements of the Kenya Air Force. The mutiny, which unfolded in Nairobi, resulted in heavy gunfire in the streets and left more than 300 people dead, including over 100 soldiers and 200 civilians. The events of that day shattered the sense of security many Kenyans had felt and ushered in years of political tightening by the Moi government.
14 August 1990 and 14 August 1992 – Political Deaths
August has also been the month of unexpected political deaths. On 14 August 1990, Anglican Bishop Alexander Muge was killed in a road accident in Busia County, only days after issuing a defiant statement against threats to his life. Two years later to the day, on 14 August 1992, veteran politician Masinde Muliro collapsed and died at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport upon his return from abroad, at the height of a tense multiparty political campaign.
7 August 1998 – The Nairobi Bombing
The shadow deepened on 7 August 1998 when the US embassy in Nairobi was bombed in a coordinated terrorist attack. The blast killed over 200 people and injured thousands, devastating the city centre and leaving lasting physical and psychological scars on the nation.
23 August 2003 – The Loss of a Vice President
Loss continued to strike. On 23 August 2003, Vice President Kijana Wamalwa died suddenly in London at the age of 58, only months into his term. In 2012, on 22 August, respected politician Martin Shikuku passed away, adding another prominent name to the list of August departures.
August 2007 and 2009 – Disasters on the Road
Road and natural disasters have also played their part in cementing August’s reputation. In 2007, mudslides near Malava claimed several lives on 11 August. Later that month, on 29 August, a collision between a bus and a tanker near Yala killed 20 people. In 2009, tragedy struck again when a bus and truck collided near Gilgil on 23 August, killing 16.
7–8 August 2025 – A Cascade of Calamities
The pattern has shown no sign of abating in recent years. In August 2025, Kenya witnessed a cascade of calamities over just three days. A medical evacuation plane crashed into a residential neighbourhood near Nairobi, killing six. In Naivasha, a collision between a train and a bus claimed multiple lives. And near Kisumu, a bus transporting mourners overturned, leaving at least 25 people dead.
In total, when combined with other separate incidents, the death toll this August has already surpassed 50; and the month is not even halfway through.
August in Kenya is a recurring chapter of grief. The accumulation of sorrow through years, communities, and generations renders it a month Kenya scarcely greets without heaviness.
