This archive report was first published on 11 December 2019.
On Sunday morning, a family's journey to church turned into a tragedy when a mother and her 13-year-old daughter drowned in River Ruiru while trying to cross using a makeshift bridge in Kwa Maiko village, Kiambu County.
The victims, Lucy Wairimu and Ruth Nduta, were headed to church in Komothai area in Githunguri with their son Anthony Njuguna, 30, who survived the accident.
According to Njuguna, the trio had taken turns to cross the swollen river using a log, but the log twisted, plunging Nduta into the water. Wairimu fell into the water while trying to pull her daughter to safety.
As the family's search for the bodies continues, the government has set aside Sh200 billion to evacuate and provide aid to flood victims across the country, with over 130 people losing their lives and thousands displaced.
Despite the government's promise to help, the family has yet to receive any assistance, with a search party made up of villagers scouring the river and surrounding bushes for any traces of the bodies.
As the short rains continue to wreak havoc in the country, the family's agonising search for Wairimu and Nduta remains a pressing concern.
