Trip to fetch water for cleaning classroom turns tragic as pupil drowns

A trip to fetch water turned tragic when a nine-year-old girl drowned in a river on Friday.

Honest Mamira and her colleagues from Lailuba Primary School in Tigania East had been sent to Bwathomara River when she slipped and fell in.

Kubai Mamira, the girl’s uncle, said the other pupils could not rescue Honest as they did not know how to swim.

“Her friends rushed back to the school to seek help. However, by the time older pupils arrived at the river it was too late,” said Mr Mamira.

A Standard Eight pupil dived into the river and found Honest's body stuck in the muddy water.

"This is really tragic and the family and the entire community are devastated. She was my brother’s first-born. My fear is this is likely to happen again because children from local schools are always fetching water. The county government should sink boreholes in schools to avoid these kinds of deaths,” he said.

Classrooms are usually dusty and learners are required to fetch water to sprinkle on the floors and for cooking.

Maendeleo ya Wanawake chairperson Mary Kanana also called on the county government to provide water for schools.