A family vacation in Mombasa turned tragic when two children drowned in a swimming pool while playing.
The victims, aged 13 and 9, died at an apartment in Nyali on Wednesday, police said. The family had travelled from Nairobi for the holiday earlier that morning.
According to police, the father left the apartment with three of his children to buy lunch, leaving the rest of the family at the premises. While away, he received a distress call from his wife informing him that the two children had drowned.
The victims were rushed to Gertrude’s Hospital in Mombasa, where they were pronounced dead on arrival.
The girls, a 13-year-old and a 9-year-old, were among 10 children who had gone swimming. They were buried on Thursday at a local cemetery.
Speaking after the burial at Kikowani, family spokesperson Jamila Ibrahim blamed the building owner and management for negligence.
“There was great negligence. There was no security or lifeguard present to guide the children or warn them about the pool’s depth. We have lost too many lives,” she said.
She urged the county government to inspect all swimming pools, warning that such incidents were becoming frequent.
Mombasa County Commissioner Mohammed Noor said police are investigating the incident and urged authorities to enforce safety inspections. “Every swimming pool must have a lifeguard with clear warnings,” he said.
Such tragedies have sparked calls for stricter enforcement of pool safety measures nationwide.
In a separate incident, a family living at the Uasin Gishu–Baringo border is mourning the death of two children who died in a house fire on Wednesday night.
Police said the victims, aged one and three, were left alone by their mother, who had gone to the shops. A burning candle, left on due to a power outage, is suspected to have caused the fire.
The wooden house was destroyed. The children were rushed to Timboroa Hospital but were declared dead on arrival. Their bodies are at the Eldama Ravine morgue.
Elsewhere, in Rarieda, Siaya County, a 23-year-old stone crusher was killed when a machine he was operating caught his clothing and pulled him into the shaft.
The deceased, identified as Wycliffe Oduor, was alone at the time. His body was moved to a local mortuary pending autopsy.
