Baringo police reservist dies after hippo capsizes boat

A hippo overturned an improvised boat killing a National Police Reservist who was fishing in Lake Baringo.

Solomon Chemursoi, 32, from Loruk village, went missing on Tuesday before his  body parts were found floating on the water on Thursday morning.

“My brother was among more than 300 NPR officers that the government disarmed and withdrew their services last week, forcing him to try fishing to feed his young family,” Musa Chemursoi said.

Chemursoi said his brother had left his clothes and shoes on the shore before making his fatal venture inside the flooded lake.

The deceased left behind a jobless widow Damaris Chemakit and three kids, two girls and a boy aged between 2 and 8 years.

“My brother was humble, jovial and hardworking. This is just but an unfortunate incident and we are appealing to the government to compensate the family” Chemursoi said.

Loruk Sub-location chief Samuel Kamuren confirmed the incident saying the man was alone when the hippo knocked the makeshift boat, capsizing it.  

“Small pieces of his body were found on Thursday morning at the lake shores after a tiresome three-day search since Tuesday” Kamuren said.

He said crocodiles may have feasted on his , adding that police collected the remains and took to Baringo County Referral Hospital mortuary awaiting the burial arrangements.