Professional divers from Kiambu arrived at Chinga Dam, Othaya in Nyeri County to retrieve bodies of two boys who drowned at the dam while on a boat ride.
Zaphan Kamanga and Brian King’ori , were among four boys that went riding on the boat unsupervised before it begun shaking and the boys jumped into the dam fearing it was going to capsize.
“They came by motorbike and parked it just beside the dam before getting into this green boat, when it began shaking, they jumped into the river, two were rescued but the bodies of the other two are being searched for,” said a villager.
One of the boys, King’ori was a student at Gathera Secondary School and a great footballer with Chinga Bullet FC.
Concerns have been raised over the safety of the dam with residents claiming there has been similar incidences calling for the fencing of the dam. A young woman was rescued a week ago as she attempted suicide at the dam.
“This Dam has swallowed so many people since the 80s and continues to do so even now because it is a tourists attraction but something has to be done to save lives and maintain its glory” lamented a youth in the area.
The area MCA Kiruga Thuku who was headed to Eldoret for the devolution conference was forced to cancel his trip temporarily following the incident to stand with the family and his people.
“It is unfortunate that the rescue mission had to be aborted last evening to pave way for professional rescuers and divers and we hope the bodies will soon be retrieved,” said the MCA.
