A 14-year-old Grade 9 student drowned in an abandoned murram quarry in Maguje area, Homa Bay County, after slipping into deep water while fetching firewood with other children.
The deceased was a student at Maguje Junior Secondary School.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at around 2 pm in Kanyach Kachar North Sub-location.
According to preliminary investigations, the victim had accompanied other children to fetch firewood when he accidentally slipped and fell into the abandoned quarry.
He reportedly screamed for help, attracting members of the public who rushed to the scene and attempted to rescue him.
However, their efforts were unsuccessful due to the depth of the water in the quarry.
The villagers subsequently sought assistance from an excavator that was operating nearby.
The machine was used to retrieve the teenager from the water, but he had already died.
Police officers visited and processed the scene.
The body was later moved to Homa Bay County Referral Hospital mortuary, where it is being preserved pending a postmortem examination.
The incident has once again raised concerns over the safety of abandoned excavation sites, particularly those containing deep water and accessible to children and other members of the public.
Elsewhere, police in Taveta Sub-County, Taita Taveta County, launched investigations into the suspected murder of an unidentified man whose body was found floating in FC River.
The body, believed to be that of a man aged about 40, was discovered on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, following a report by the Chief of Kimorigo Location.
The deceased was found floating in the river, face down, with a visible deep stab wound on the head.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the man may have been killed elsewhere before his body was dumped in the river.
Police have since documented the incident and moved the body to Taveta Sub-County Hospital mortuary, where it is being preserved pending a postmortem examination and identification.
Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the suspected killing and are working to establish the identity of the deceased and those responsible.
