Man buried alive while illegally harvesting sand in Kisumu

A 35-year-old man died after he was buried under a heap of collapsed sand while allegedly harvesting sand illegally in Kisumu East subcounty.

The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon at Kamola Village in Nyalunya sublocation, Kolwa Central location.

Police officers visited the scene and found the body of Edwin Otieno, which had already been retrieved from the collapsed sand.

Preliminary investigations established that the deceased and another man, who escaped unharmed, had allegedly ignored orders prohibiting sand harvesting within the homestead of an elderly woman.

Authorities said the activity posed a serious threat to the safety of her house.

The sand reportedly caved in during the excavation, burying Otieno alive

The body was removed from the scene and taken to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) mortuary, where it awaits a post-mortem examination.

Police have launched investigations into the incident.

And the body of a 15-year-old girl who was attacked by a crocodile was recovered along the banks of the Athi River in Makindu, Makueni County.

The body of Yvonne Wambua was found on Wednesday morning at Kamboo area, a day after she was reported missing following the attack.

A multi-agency team comprising the Makindu subcounty security committee, led by the Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), police officers, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Administration Police Service (APS) officers and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) personnel visited the scene.

The girl’s body was found lying on the riverbank with visible head injuries.

Security officials addressed the residents, assured the bereaved family and the community of government support, and urged caution around the crocodile-infested river.

The scene was processed, documented and photographed before the body was moved to Makindu Sub-County Hospital Mortuary, where it awaits a post-mortem examination.

The incident is under investigation, while KWS is expected to continue monitoring the area following the fatal attack and to address rising cases of human-wildlife conflict.

Elsewhere, the body of a 34-year-old man who drowned in Lake Naivasha was recovered following an overnight search by police and emergency responders.

The deceased, identified as Ephantus Njuguna, reportedly drowned on Tuesday afternoon near Boffar Hotel in Lake Naivasha.

According to police, family members received a phone call from an unidentified person informing them that Njuguna had drowned. 

They rushed to the scene and found the county disaster management team and police officers attempting to retrieve the body, but the operation was unsuccessful.

On Wednesday morning, officers from Karagita Police Station led by the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), together with the Naivasha Sub-County Disaster Management Team and Coast Guard personnel, resumed the search.

The team successfully recovered Njuguna’s body from the lake.

Detectives documented the scene before the body was moved to Naivasha Sub-County Referral Hospital Mortuary for preservation pending a post-mortem examination.

Police have launched investigations into the drowning incident.