Body of man who drowned in Nyeri surfaces in Kirinyaga

A 32-year-old man who has been missing for 10 days after he was swept away by the flooding Tana River has been found dead in Ngando village, Kirinyaga County.

Casual workers harvesting bananas for sale in one of the farms spotted the body floating in the river on Wednesday evening and raised the alarm, attracting scores of residents.

Residents then retrieved the decomposing body of the man identified as Gideon Mboga Maina from Nyeri County.

Later, the residents reported the matter to officers from Baricho Police Station who then drove to the scene and took the body to Karatina Hospital mortuary.

STRONG CURRENTS

According to the man’s relatives, Mr Maina was crossing the river in Rwairegi village in Mukurwe-ini when he was hit by strong water currents and swept downstream.

Efforts to save him from drowning were unsuccessful.

Following the incident relatives combed the river banks in search of their kin for days but gave up when they failed to trace him.

FUTILE SEARCH

"We looked for Mr Maina everywhere but we could not find him," said Mr Douglas Wanjau, a relative.

Mr Wanjau, who is also the Karicheni Sub-Location assistant chief, said he and other relatives rushed to Kirinyaga immediately they received information that Mr Maina had been found dead.

"When we arrived we were able to identify the body which had started decaying," added the administrator.

The assistant chief said the flooded river has killed other people and destroyed crops due to heavy rains being experienced in the area.

“Even crops have not been spared by the river which has burst its banks following a heavy downpour," he said.