This archive report was first published on 17 July 2020.
Busia County has been left reeling after a 23-year-old college student, Bernard Otieno, died in a tragic incident on Thursday evening, July 16.
According to Nambale OCPD Rolex Nyoka, Otieno, a Second Year student at Bushiangala Technical Training Institute in Kakamega County, received a phone call from his elder sibling, who reprimanded him for his penchant for bhang smoking and binge drinking.
It appears the scolding was the final straw for Otieno, who left for River Walatsi and threw himself into the swollen waters, resulting in his untimely death.
As the police continue to investigate the incident, Otieno's body remains submerged in the river, with his relatives adhering to the Marachi culture, which requires some family members to camp on the riverbed until the body is found.
Police have urged parents to closely monitor their children during this period, when schools are closed due to the coronavirus crisis, and to find tactful ways of advising the children.
