This archive report was first published on 27 December 2019.
Christmas Day turned tragic for a group of jua kali operators in Narok town as one of their own, a 25-year-old man known as 'Matwa,' drowned in River Narok.
According to eyewitnesses, Matwa was playing with his friend beside the river when they both jumped in, but his friend was lucky enough to be saved.
Despite reporting the incident to the police on Thursday, the operators claim they have not received much help from security personnel, who have yet to respond.
Chairman Gabriel Kamwathi, who led the search efforts, said they have been camping next to the river despite heavy downpour, hoping to recover the body. 'We are contributing monies to hire private divers from Naivasha who will help us recover the body as the water is increasing. We will leave no stone unturned until we recover that body,' he said.
Another operator, Nderitu Asenari, blamed local leaders for not showing up to help with the search efforts, despite being informed of the incident.
The incident comes at a time when the Meteorology department in the County has advised residents to be cautious due to heavy rains expected in the area.
County Director of Meteorology Peter Runanu advised residents in flood-prone areas to be careful and move to safer grounds to avoid being swept away by flash floods.
