Residents of Gatamaiyu village in Naivasha are in mourning after a class eight student drowned in a dam while on a swimming expedition with friends.
The group were swimming and fishing in the recently constructed dam when one of them was overwhelmed by the water levels forcing his friends to intervene.
A local leader Moses Waithaka said that it was norm for boys to swim in the dam on weekends adding that this was the first time they had recorded such an incident.
He said that two of the boys tried to save their colleague but they were also overwhelmed as the dam is very big and deep.
“Members of the public who heard the screams rushed to the dam and managed to rescue two of the boys while one drowned,” he said.
Area Chief Samuel Ng’ang’a confirmed the incident adding that the body was retrieved hours later and taken to Naivasha mortuary.
“We are asking parents to monitor the movements of the children during this holiday to avoid such incidents in the future,” he said.
Meanwhile security in and around Naivasha town was intensified during the Easter holiday with few cases of crime reported.
A combined team of officers from different departments patrolled the town that recorded an increase in the number of visitors.
Naivasha OCPD Samuel Waweru said that they were not taking chances adding that no ugly incident had been reported over the long weekend.
“We have formed security teams involving all the departments and increased the number of patrols on the streets and this has borne fruits,” he said.
The Chairman Naivasha Professional Association (NPA) Eskimos Kobia praised the security officers noting that the town was very secure and peaceful.
He noted that the number of visitors to the town had increased over the period boasting the economy of the region.
“We commend security officers for a job well done as we have seen an increase in the number of police on the streets,” he said.