The government has formally confirmed that it will pay for all burial expenses for five Friends School Mbihi students killed in a crash on the Nakuru-Nairobi highway on Tuesday afternoon.

In a message to newsrooms on Wednesday, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said his Ministry would also endeavour to cover the medical expenditures of the seven pupils injured in the accident.

In the statement, CS Machogu said, The Ministry expresses condolences to the families of the deceased and reiterates its assistance for the families whose children survived the accident.

PHOTO | COURTESY cs Machogu

He further stated that the Ministry would ensure that hospitalized students receive the best free medical treatment possible under the Edu Afya health insurance scheme for secondary school pupils. The insurance policy would also cover funeral costs for all deceased students.

According to the CS, the pupils were picked up by the matatu from their school in Vihiga County on a tragic day and were on their way home to Nairobi for the April holidays.

However, upon arrival in Naivasha, the driver lost control of the matatu after colliding with an approaching lorry. According to Machogu, an investigation into the accident is still ongoing.

The seven injured kids were taken to the Naivasha sub-county hospital. Three of them were discovered to need serious medical care and were sent to the Intensive Care Unit of the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

PHOTO | COURTESY cs Machogu

"In Naivasha, one learner was picked up by her parents from the Naivasha Sub-County hospital while three others were retained for further doctors' overnight observation," said Machogu.

"Two of the students have since been given a clean bill of health and were due for discharge today, leaving only one of them still under observation." he added.

He added that A post-mortem examination of all the bodies has been completed, and parents are making arrangements to move the bodies to preferred morgues