Mbiya Mamy Lutumba’s presence was unmistakable.
She had a way of claiming any space she entered, and her cheerful nature did wonders to lift people’s spirits, her children said.
“The apartment feels really empty without her,” said 14-year-old Anna Manda, describing her mother as a strong and upbeat woman who sacrificed a lot in her own life to ensure her children had more opportunities than life afforded her.
“It’s hard not to notice she’s missing,” Anna’s older sister, 16-year-old Angela Manda, chimed in. Not seeing her walk through the door every night after work has been difficult, she said, but a wealth of support from loved ones has been a consistent reminder of her impact in the community.
Lutumba, a 40-year-old single mother of four, was fatally struck while walking home from her shift at a Sodo recycling company the night of March 16. The driver who hit her fled in a white Dodge Charger.
Patrol officers found Lutumba lying unresponsive on the road after hearing a collision near the intersection of Fourth Avenue South and South Lander Street. She died at the scene.
Investigators have not arrested any suspects, according to the Seattle Police Department, which hasn’t released new information since March 31 about the deadly crash, one of eight fatal collisions citywide so far this year. Four of those crashes involved pedestrians.
Sixteen of the city’s 28 fatal collisions in 2022 involved pedestrians or people using skateboards, roller skates or similar modes of transportation, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation. An average of 28 traffic deaths are reported in Seattle each year, with trend lines increasing since 2019.
The family’s sudden loss and lack of answers about who’s responsible has left the siblings feeling a lack of justice and attention from investigators.
“I don’t want her death to be in vain,” said Chris Manda, Lutumba’s 18-year-old son. “It left a big hole.”
The children began to grow worried about their mother after she hadn’t returned by 11 p.m. as usual and having missed all the calls, Chris Manda said.
The oldest of the four siblings, 20-year-old Giselle Manda, said Lutumba’s children learned of her death not from officials, but by calling around to hospitals in the days after reporting her missing to Seattle police over the phone and in person.
The siblings had put up flyers at their mother’s worksite and along her route home after being unable to reach her, Giselle Manda said. Lutumba’s manger told Giselle a fatal crash occurred nearby, prompting Giselle to start making calls.
“This whole time she was dead,” Giselle Manda said. “I don’t understand why police would not notify us. I feel that no one is taking this seriously.”
Seattle police declined to comment on the notification procedures after Lutumba’s death but said their policy follows state law, which makes coroners responsible for notifying next of kin. In King County, the medical examiner is responsible for such notifications, though the office will sometimes ask police to contact families. It was unclear who was ultimately responsible for notifying Lutumba’s loved ones.
Angela Manda also said she and her siblings feel it’s unfair and disrespectful that the driver who struck their mother hasn’t come forward. There’s no way to stop thinking about Lutumba’s final moments when the house goes quiet at night, Angela said.
Lutumba had moved her family to Seattle less than a year earlier, having picked the city for its tech industry and the chance to give her children more opportunities, said her cousin, Christian Kitenge Tshomba.
The family fled Congo after Lutumba’s husband’s wartime death in 2010, seeking asylum in Namibia and ultimately being resettled in the U.S. about eight years ago, Tshomba said.
All the while, Lutumba never caved under the pressure of being a single mother, her cousin said, raising her children to be disciplined and value education while speaking Lingala and English at home, often mixing both languages. All of her kids are excelling in school, Tshomba said.
“Everything she did was for her children,” he said.
The four children now recall every moment with their mother as blessed: Even the everyday moments that seem ordinary are special, Giselle Manda said.
“It’s hard because you live through those [moments] thinking the person will be there always,” she said.
Lutumba was devoted in her faith and raised her children to be the same, Chris Manda said. Sunday meant church and usually a trip to the Chinese buffet.
She also went out of her way to help people in need even when she didn’t have much, and on many occasions she gave food to people living homeless — even if she had just an apple or a snack, Anna Manda said.
“She was very strong, and I looked up to her a lot,” Chris Manda said, adding that his mother brought him up with the standard that he would be “the man of the house.”
After Lutumba’s death, her children continue to focus on the values she instilled in them, holding on to her memory and honoring her sacrifices while pushing forward.
“Now we have to be strong and live without her because of what someone did,” Anna Manda said.
The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for funeral costs and other expenses.