A canal intended to irrigate the expansive Kisima Farm, owned by President William Ruto, has once again claimed the life of a child— sparking outrage among the residents of Mata in Taveta Sub-county.
The canal, which runs across Mata Chini, Ngaa, Grogan, and Lesuyai villages, has become a death trap.
A year ago, an 18-month-old boy crawled into the canal and drowned. Another child died in a similar way last Thursday, October 17.
His body has been preserved at the Taveta Sub-County Hospital's mortuary, leaving the grief-stricken community in mourning, grappling with the loss of their young ones.
Mr Isack Kioko, who lost his son last week, on Tuesday expressed his disappointment with the farm management, saying no one from the farm has approached the family to offer their apology for the death of their child.
"This shows that they don't care about the loss of my child. He was my only child, and I'm hurt because his death could have been prevented," he said as his eyes welled up.
Taveta Sub-County Police Commander Nicholas Chelulot confirmed that the report was made on Thursday at the Taveta Police Station.
He said the Grogan Primary School pupil was accompanying his mother to fetch water when he accidentally slipped and fell into the canal.
"He was rescued and rushed to the Taveta Sub-County Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival," he said.
Ms Mercy Nzuki, whose child drowned in the canal last year, said the canal's dangers are all too real for the residents.
"In July last year, I left my child with other children and went to the farm. When I came back, I was told my baby had drowned," she said.
Ms Nzuki said she recently slipped into the canal while fetching water, but she was rescued by her fellow women who were with her.
"The canal feeds the farm and is crucial for its operations, but at a devastating cost of our children's lives," she said.
In 2022, President Ruto disclosed that he acquired the 2,536-acre Mata Farm from former Taveta MP Basil Criticos who needed to offset a loan at the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC).
“I am also a Mata elder because I helped the former Taveta MP to settle his loan at AFC and he gave me a portion of land,” Dr Ruto said at Lumo Wildlife Sanctuary during a Kenya Kwanza economic forum.
In a previous interview with Nation , Mr Criticos confirmed that he sold the land to Dr Ruto at market price in 2017.
In addition to the tragic deaths, more than four people, including a seven-year-old child, have slipped into the canal but were fortunately rescued before drowning.
Speaking at Mata Chini, the villagers recounted that the management of Kisima Farm approached them four years ago, seeking permission to dig the canal for irrigation purposes.
The villagers agreed to the project under specific conditions that included erecting a fence along the canal, constructing footbridges, and installing water points for the residents.
"Despite these agreements, the promised safety measures have not been implemented. We feel betrayed, so we are now demanding that the farm management fulfil their commitments," said Goodluck Mutambu, the vice chairperson of Mata Chini village.
He said the management had asked for six months to implement the agreement, but despite follow-ups, nothing has been forthcoming.
"When the first child drowned, they came here, and we agreed that they should implement what we had agreed. We followed up with a letter but we were told that they would implement it. In January this year, another villager and I went to the office, and they gave us the same promises," said Mr Mutambu.
They issued a stern warning, threatening to destroy the canal if the management failed to meet their demands.
"We cannot continue to lose our children to this canal. We allowed them to dig it because they promised to make it safe for us. They must keep their word.
"I also rescued my wife here after she slipped into this canal. This is a death trap and that is why we want it fenced," he added.
Pupils from Grogan Primary School also fetch water from the canal to irrigate trees endangering their lives.
Another resident, John Komo, said the canal could be infested with crocodiles and hippos as it connects to Lake Jipe and the Ruvu River.
"We fear that if this canal is not fenced we might experience more dangerous incidents in future. We don't know who will be hit next because this is our only source of water," he said.
He urged President Ruto to order the management to take fast action to save the lives of the villagers.
"If the president is not aware then this message should reach him. We have tried to reach the management but it seems defiant," he said.
Mr John Kyallo, another villager, said the management should take responsibility for the tragedies that have befallen the two families.
When contacted, the farm management said the residents had been against the fencing of the canal as it is their source of water.
The farm's manager Milton Baya said they would erect a fence along the canal to prevent such occurrences in future.
"The incident was reported to me by the villagers. It is them who have been preventing us from erecting the fence but where this issue has reached it will force us to do it immediately," he said.
"The villagers say they depend on the canal for their domestic use. They are the ones who have been preventing us from fencing it. We have always been ready so now I will go ahead and do it.”
"How can a pipe be fixed in such a canal? It is not possible," he said.
He said the farm management would visit the village on Wednesday, October 23, for public participation purposes to kickstart the construction of the fence.
