Six drown in Coast over Christmas and New Year festivities

Six people including a KCPE candidate drowned in the Indian Ocean and a swimming pool in Mombasa and Kwale during the Christmas and New Year festivities, police report.

In the first incident, a boy, 6, drowned at Diani reef hotel’s swimming pool while playing with other children sparking anger from parents. Cliff Nyamweya allegedly slipped into the pool while playing with other children at around 1pm while her parents were partying in the same vicinity. 

The boy had travelled with their mother and other three siblings from Kisii County to Diani to join their father for Christmas celebrations. His father, Edward Gesange, who was with his wife and their other three children, is yet to come to terms with the sudden death after he slipped into the pool unnoticed. 

He said the other three children knew how to swim and he allowed his younger son to watch them swimming. “He was watching the other kids who were about 15-20 swimming while we were at the counter,” he said tearfully. The family is now demanding answers from the hotel management. 

Another child aged 7 drowned at Bidi babu beach in Diani after the tides become too high. Kwale county police and divers pulled out the body from the ocean.
In another incident a man from Homa Bay County drowned in a swimming pool at Asilia residence. Bernard Onyango Auko was found dead in the pool.

And in Mombasa, a man, 45, was found at the shore in Pirates area. In another incident a boy, 14, drowned at Nyali area. Nyali police boss Daniel Musaba said the two were not immediately identified. And the body of a school boy who went missing on new year’s was yesterday found floating on the Indian Ocean waters. Martin Okumu’s body was spotted along Nyali public beach.