Bodies of Michuki Institute students who drowned in Mathioya River during photoshoot retrieved

Daniel Waweru and Hellen Akinyi drowned in Mathioya River on Sunday, January 16, 2022. [Boniface Gikandi, Standard]

The bodies of two students of Michuki Technical Training Institute in Kangema Sub-County, Murang’a County, who drowned on Sunday, January 16, have been retrieved.

Daniel Waweru, who was pursuing a certificate course in plumbing, and Hellen Akinyi, a certificate in secretarial studies student, were taking photos near Karugia falls, when they fell into the river.

Police say Akinyi was the first to fall into the river at 5:30pm, and Waweru’s attempts to rescue her also led to him drowning.

After a three-day body-retrieval exercise, the remains of the two were removed from the river at 5pm on Wednesday, Michuki Technical Training Institute principal John Ndirangu told The Standard.

Kangema Sub-County Police Commander Phillip Wambugu said heavy rains pounding the area hampered the retrieval exercise.

Both Akinyi and Waweru were in their early twenties, police said.

The two were part of ten students who went for a walk at Mathioya River on Sunday evening.

When news of the pair’s drowning broke, Michuki Institute students vowed not to attend classes until the bodies of their college-mates were retrieved.