The family and friends of John Mwangi, 25, had been preparing for his wedding day for over two months, but instead, they are now making funeral arrangements after he died in a car accident on Friday.
Mwangi was driving a priest's car to collect his fiancée's parents when the vehicle plunged into Kirandich Dam near Kabarnet town in Baringo County. His friend, David Mungai, survived the accident.
Church Mourns Loss of Devoted Member ¶
Church leaders described Mwangi as a devoted Christian who had served the church since childhood as an altar boy. He worked at the Keringet Catholic Parish office. According to Church Secretary Joseph Kamau, 'We have lost a good young man. He was still serving the church in Keringet, in Kuresoi.'
David Mungai, who survived the tragedy, said they had stopped to admire the scenery when Mwangi tried to answer his phone and lost control of the vehicle, which then plunged into the dam.
Difficult Recovery Efforts ¶
Baringo County Police Commander Peter Ndung'u said it was challenging to retrieve Mwangi's body from the dam due to its swollen state following heavy rains. The body was eventually retrieved 24 hours later.
Residents who spoke to the Sunday Nation called on the government to fence off the dam, citing the need for a lasting solution to prevent similar incidents. Chebano location Senior Chief Japheth Bowen expressed concern over the growing number of deaths at the 40-meter dam.
Kirandich Dam, which supplies water to over 60,000 people in Kabarnet town and its environs, has a capacity of 3.7 million cubic liters.
