Doctor swept away by raging waters in Shinyalu, Kakamega
A boda boda rider navigates a flooded section of Lower Hill Road at the junction of Haile Sellasie Avenue as heavy rains hit Nairobi.
A doctor lost his life after he was swept away by the raging waters of Lwang’ombe stream in Ilala village, Shinyalu sub-County in Kakamega amid the extensive flooding crisis that has rocked the country.
His body was discovered a day later trapped between tree branches within the swollen stream.
Mr Ronald Salimu Musume, 72, a psychiatric doctor, is suspected to have drowned as he attempted to move on the two poles connected across the swollen stream.
Residents who don’t want to use vehicles, prefer using the connection across the stream during normal days as a shortcut to reach Shirere on their way to Kakamega town.
Dr Musume’s wife Fridah Okuku said the deceased left their home in Ilala village on Friday morning going to Kakamega town where he was putting up a premise to use as a private medical centre but did not return home.
“Since we have another home in Kakamega town, I assumed he had spent the night in town because of the heavy downpour that pounded throughout the week.
"The next day, I called him on his mobile phone, but it did not go through. I waited patiently knowing he was safe,” narrated Ms Okuku.
On Saturday, Ms Okuku received a call from a neighbour informing her that the body of her husband had been discovered in the water, some 50 meters away from their home.
“I had just come from the farm when I received the call. I lost strength and sat down even without talking to the caller. She called again, instructing and directing me to rush to the location where his body had been discovered. I managed to wake up and staggered to the location,” she explained.
It is suspected that he slipped and fell in the fast moving waters which swept him downstream when it was raining heavily. Locals helped to retrieve the body.
Dr Musume served as a psychiatric doctor at the Kakamega County General Hospital up to 2021 when he retired but was serving in a private clinic within Kakamega town.
His eldest son Albert Mandela said their father was the sole source of income for the family and his death had hit the family a big blow.
“We have been relying on him and looking up on him to provide for the family. We don’t know how we shall manage to cope up in his absence,” said Mandela.
In a separate incident, a woman died after she was electrocuted in her home at Matawa village in Mumias while she was washing clothes at home.
Ms Caroline Juma, 24, was hit by the electric shock when she touched a wire used as a line for hanging clothes that is connected to her house.
Her father-in-law Odinga Juma said the 24-year-old daughter-in-law was putting a cloth on the cloth line while bare-footed when it was drizzling.
“We did not know that the iron sheets on her house were touching a live electric cable. The cloth line was touching the iron sheets and that is how she was attracted to the electric forces from the electricity,” said Mr Odinga.
A neighbour heard her groaning and rushed to help. By the time she was rescued, she could not move.
Mumias West sub-county police commander Stephen Muoni said the matter has been put under investigation suspecting of illegal power connection.
“We suspect that there was illegal electricity connected to her house by a person not authorised to deal with electricity. It is so unfortunate that she lost her life but we are following up on the illegal connection,” said Mr Muoni.
The deceased was rushed to Jamia Medical Center in Mumias town but was pronounced dead on arrival.
