Two boys from Rasa village in the Soweto area of Lumakanda Ward in Lugari Sub-County, Kakamega County, drowned while swimming in a dam near their home.
The two, both 14-year-olds and pupils of Lumakanda Township Primary School, were part of a group of boys on a fishing expedition in the unguarded dam near their homes.
According to an eyewitness, a fellow boy tending livestock, the two victims decided to take a swim in the dam. Overwhelmed by the water’s force, they tragically drowned, prompting their companions to flee in fear.
“The boys came here with hooks and nets ready to fish. The two decided to dive into the dam to swim before they drowned. Their friends started running away. I raised the alarm,” he said.
The bodies of the boys were retrieved from the dam by villagers who expressed disappointment at the incident despite raising concerns on the safety of the dam which remains unfenced.
The area chief Celestine Asige, while confirming the incident, urged parents to be vigilant on their children.
The bodies of the deceased boys were taken to Kimbilio Mortuary in the neighboring Uasin Gishu County as investigations commence.
Tom Lutali is a seasoned scribe based in Lugari Sub-County in Kakamega County who writes human interest stories and sports for WKT.