This archive report was first published on 17 November 2019.
As heavy rains continue to pound the region, a family in Bomet East is facing an agonizing wait for the recovery of their 11-year-old daughter, who drowned in Nyangores River 12 days ago.
Speaking to Nyakundi Report, Mercy Bett, the mother of Brenda Chepkemoi, pleaded with the government to send a team of divers to help them trace her body.
“I wish the government can come to our rescue by sending divers to look for the body of our daughter in the river,” she said.
According to the family, Chepkemoi slipped into the river on November 3 while trying to remove her slippers, which fell into the river as she was taking a bath at the banks of the river.
Despite the efforts of the County disaster management team, which have covered nearly 20 kilometres searching, the body has yet to be recovered.
Head of disaster management Stanley Mutai said they fear that the body had been swept downstream due to the high volume of water in the river.
“The volume of water in the river is high due to heavy rains being experienced and we suspect the body has been swept downstream,” said Mutai.
Statistics from disaster management show that 18 lives have been lost across the county due to drowning, with Nyangores River alone claiming six lives this year, two of which have died in the last two weeks.
Mutai has warned locals to avoid letting children near rivers, especially during the ongoing rains.
