Three school boys aged between 13 and 15 years drowned in River Kiama in Gatanga Sub County, Murang'a on Sunday evening.
By Monday January 10 morning, the official opening day of schools, police and community divers had managed to retrieve the three bodies in an emotional exercise witnessed by members of the three neighbouring families.
According to Gatanga police boss Peter Mucheru, the boys from Mabae village had gone to Kirwara trading centre to have a haircut ahead of reporting to school on Monday.
“But after they were shaved, they decided to go and have a swim in the river but unfortunately they drowned,” he said.
The boys, John Mambo, Ryan Karanja and John Mwaura were all in class seven.
He said the place where the three dived to swim has a depth of forty metres, half of it being a sticky glue of siltation that trapped them.
According to Mr Ibrahim Chege who spoke on behalf of the families, the boys were known as obedient and God loving children.
“At 4pm, the three had passed by my home on their way from the church and told me they were headed to Kirwara. They took their last meals in my home as we chatted and they were full of energy. They looked very jovial. It saddens me to be called here to witness them dead,” he said.
Gatanga MP Nduati Ngugi condoled with the families as he witnessed the last body being retrieved from the river.
He said the place of the tragedy is a long time known blackspot, revealing that he lost his cousin at the same spot.
“We will now sit down with the area security committee and come up with a budget to fence the spot and restrict its access,” he said.
