This archive report was first published on 2 September 2019.
On Sunday evening, a family outing to Hell's Gate National Park ended in tragedy when six family members and their guide were swept away by flash floods.
The incident occurred seven years after a similar tragedy left seven youths from PCEA Nairobi dead after being swept by the floods.
The group of 13 family members from Nairobi had taken an afternoon visit to the park, which is known for its beehive of activities.
Despite the drizzle, the group accompanied by two guides went to the gorge, which was assured to be safe.
However, the situation took a turn for the worse when the floods swept the family members one after the other, leaving their relatives in horror.
Family members who spoke to the press narrated their ordeal, with one of them, Ivraj Singh Hayer, recounting how his wife was swept away before his cousin, nephew, and niece.
"We did not see any problem with us going down to the gorges and we met others on their way out so it was all safe until the unthinkable happened," Hayer said.
He added that six of the family members jumped on one side and were lucky the floods did not get to them, while the rest were all swept away.
"The guide was trying to save my nephew and they both slipped and were swept by the floods," Hayer said.
The bodies of the victims were found about 30kms from the scene of the tragedy following a major exercise conducted by locals, Red Cross, KWS, and police.
KWS Central Rift Assistant Director Aggrey Maumo led the search efforts in the vast Suswa hills where the bodies were found kilometres apart.
Maumo said the tragedy occurred after heavy rains pounded the hilly areas of Longonot, with stormwater finding its way to the gorges.
While terming the incident as unfortunate, Maumo termed the park as safe for anyone to visit, saying, "We will not close the gorges contrarily to information out there and this should not deter anyone from visiting this park,"
