- Children at the river started yelling when Mwendwa started sinking
- Local divers spent the better part of the afternoon trying to retrieve the body to no avail
A 10-year-old girl drowned in Nanyuki River at Jua Kali in Segera location in Laikipia county after a swimming expedition turned tragic on Saturday.
Felistus Mwendwa, a Class 5 pupil at Lailagwan Primary School, was in the company of other children who had gone to the river to fetch water when they decided to swim but she was overwhelmed by the water.
Francis Ekiru, a resident of Jua Kali shopping centre, said the incident caught them by surprise. Children at the river started yelling when Mwendwa started sinking.
The girl was said to be living with her aunt who is a casual laborer and was away on duty when the accident happened.
“Local divers spent the better part of the afternoon trying to retrieve the body to no avail since the water at the point of the girl’s sinking was deep and muddy” said Ekiru.
Gideon Kemboi, a diver, said that they lacked the necessary skills to venture into the waters and they were hoping professionals from Red Cross or Kenya Defense Forces in Nanyuki would help.
Area MCA Charubo Kaparo said the area had witnessed many drowning cases with bodies going for days without being retrieved owing to lack of professional divers.
Kaparo urged parents to be vigilant and make sure that their children were not sent to the river when it was dangerous to fetch water or wash clothes.
Laikipia county fire brigade said they could not help since they did not have divers.