An 8-year-old boy tragically drowned on Saturday night while searching for ducks and their eggs at a swamp in Icang’i village, Kirinyaga County.
The third-grade student was with three friends, who fortunately managed to escape unharmed.
According to local resident Michael Chomba, the swamp, which now covers two acres of Icang’i Primary School’s playground, has worsened following recent heavy rains.
Chomba explained that, “The swamp has been expanding gradually and became much worse after the heavy rainfall this year.”
Samuel Gitari Kangangi, another resident, reported that the children were observed by a man mowing grass for his livestock.
Armed with fishing nets and ropes, the boys were throwing stones at ducks in an attempt to catch them.
Gitari noted that while the three other children managed to escape, the boy who drowned was caught by the water.
According to one of the survivors, they had hit a duck with a stone, which fell into the water, and they were trying to retrieve it along with its eggs when the accident occurred.
Michael Chomba added that the children had traveled from Gathoge for this duck hunting expedition and this was not their first time doing so.
Efforts to recover the boy’s body were challenging for the residents until a police officer from the Piai police post assisted.
The body was found more than 60 meters from the swamp.
In response to the tragedy, local residents are urging the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to address the issue of the expanding swamp.
The school has since fenced off the area to prevent further accidents.
The boy’s body has been taken to Kibugi Funeral Home, and Mwea-East Police Commander Patrick Nyaanga has announced that an investigation into the incident is underway.
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