Nine-year-old drowns in private dam

Nine-year-old boy drowns in a private dam in Naivasha as a separate motorcycle crash claims another life. [iStockphoto]

Police in Naivasha are investigating an incident where a nine-year-old boy drowned in a private dam under unclear circumstances.

The body of the minor was found floating in the dam in Sero village, Ndabibi, 40 km from Naivasha town, after going missing for hours.

Emotions ran high among relatives and residents before police were called in to retrieve the body and take it to Naivasha sub-county hospital mortuary.

A village elder, Johnstone Mwaura, said that the minor was last seen by the parents playing outside their house before going missing.

He said that residents embarked on a major search, during which parts of the minor’s clothes were found next to the dam that is located on a private farm.

“On further checking, the body was found floating in a section of the dam and police were called in and collected the minor,” he said.

Naivasha DCIO Isaac Kiama confirmed the incident, adding that they were not taking chances and they were waiting for a post-mortem report to determine the cause of death.

“At the moment it looks like drowning but we have opened an inquest file as part of the investigations while waiting for the post-mortem,” he said. 

Meanwhile, cases of fatal accidents involving motorcycle operators in Naivasha have continued to rise, with speeding and careless overtaking blamed for the increase.

This follows another accident along Moi South Lake Road where another operator perished on Tuesday evening while overtaking a fleet of cars.

The operator was alone when he lost control and crashed by the roadside near the Naivasha-Mai Mahiu junction, leading to his death.

A witness, Enos Wafula, said that the deceased was at high speed and heading towards South Lake when the incident occurred, throwing him meters away.

“He had just overtaken some cars but lost control as he rejoined his lane and in the process he crashed by the side of the road and died on the spot,” he said.

The CID boss confirmed the incident, adding that the body had been collected and taken to the local mortuary while the wreck had been towed to the police station.