A family in Mwingi, Kitui county is appealing to the national government to help them trace and retrieve the body of its kin from the crocodile-infested river Tana.
The body of Kennedy Muthuvi Mwende, a Garissa based bodaboda operator who went missing 7 days ago was allegedly sited floating on the riverbanks by Mororo residents on Saturday evening.
According to eyewitnesses, the crocodile was spotted trying to push the body from the river to the banks and alerted the Kenya Wildlife wardens.
Speaking to the press at the riverbanks, Ibrahim Habakore, one of the local divers who was the first to spot the body said he called the Garissa warden officer who immediately arrived.
“The warden fired in the air to scare the crocodile and although it released the body, it was swept downstream,” he said.
Since then efforts to search and retrieve the body has proved futile.
Josphat Mutua, a cousin to the deceased said that they sought the assistance of the Kenya Red when the locals claimed to have sited the body.
“The Red Cross provided us with speed boat. We went as far as Bura, some 100 km downstream where the locals told us that they saw the body being swept away,” Mutua said.
He appealed to the government to assist them with specialized divers from the Navy and other agencies to help retrieve the body.
Garissa nominated MCA Teresia Titus who joined the family in the search said the family needs urgent assistance.
One of the relatives who requested anonymity said that Kennedy’s motorbike was found in Modika area, some 10 km from Garissa town raising suspicion that he may have been killed and his body dumped in the river.
“I want to appeal to the police to investigate and ensure that those who killed Kennedy are brought to book,” he said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
