The body of an 11-year-old pupil who drowned in River Chania at Kangemi area on the outskirts of Nyeri town has not been found, five days after the incident.
Hassan Wachira, a Standard Six pupil at Muhoya Academy drowned on Saturday, May 9, at around 9 am when he slipped in the river and was swept by the swollen and fast-flowing river.
“Alikuwa amekuja kufuga mbuzi lakini sababu ya Corona akaamua kuoga mikono na akaanguka kwa maji” (He had taken goats to graze and after tethering them decided to wash his hands because of the coronavirus but unfortunately slipped into the water),” said a local resident, Rose Gathigia.
Gathigia who was among other residents trying to find the body said no efforts have been made by both levels of government to assist them recover the body.
The residents added that the county government dispatched divers after the incident but they have since left the scene, claiming the water is flowing too fast..
Residents said the volunteers lacked skills and were also risking their lives searching for the body.
Gathigia claimed several lives have been lost at the scene when people tried to cross the river on a water pipe to pick coffee or do casual labour on the other side.
She asked the county administration to put up guards to prevent people from falling as a short-term measure before putting up permanent bridges.
The distraught father of the deceased boy, Patrick Kibui appealed to both levels of government and other volunteers help him find the body of his son.
