Crocodile attacks, kills grade two pupil in Ndhiwa

An 11-year-old boy was attacked and killed by a crocodile when went to fetch water from River Kuja in Ndhiwa constituency.

Felix Odongo was mauled by the reptile in the company of his colleagues by the river banks on Wednesday evening.

His mother Janet Auma said the incident occurred when she was at home.

Auma said they heard other children crying as they ran away saying that Odongo had been grabbed by the crocodile.

She immediately rushed to the scene trying to establish what happened.

The boy was in grade two at Omboo Nazarene Academy.

“I reached the place and saw my son held between the jaws of the crocodile. The reptile quickly dashed towards the deep side of the river water before it sunk into the water with the boy,” Auma said.

Speaking to journalists near the river, Auma said they called other neighbours to trace the boy without success.

The mother tried to ask a man who was on the other side of the river where the crocodile was heading with the boy to help save him.

The man who was on his farm could not help for fear of being attacked as well.

“We tried to throw objects at the crocodile to drop the child without success,” Auma said.

Resident Joseph Orati said the nearest water source is more than three kilometres away.

“Let the relevant authority intervene so that residents can utilize this water without being harmed,” Orati said.

West Kabuoch chief Ann Anyango said they called the Kenya Wildlife Service office to look for the reptile.

Anyango said the area has become insecure after a similar incident occurred last year. A crocodile attacked a man in the area.

She asked government agencies responsible for water supply should help families in her location. The river is the main water source in the area.

“Most people depend on water from the river to do their household chores. Let there be an alternative source of water for the sake of residents’ safety,” the administrator said.

North Kabuoch MCA Boaz Kiri asked the Homa Bay government to help residents get access to clean water by opening up a dilapidated water project that used to help residents.

Kiri said this will help in reducing human-wildlife conflicts.

“The project was helping residents early days. Let the county government get a contactor and open it up so that residents can be supplied with water,” Kiri said.

Homa Bay KWS warden Jackson Kibor said his officers are on the ground to help the family trace the boy. He asked residents to remain vigilant as they operate around the river.

“Some officers have already reached the place to look and retrieve the body of the boy,” Kibor said.