Teenager drowns in Lake Naivasha

Lake Naivasha. [File, Standard]

A 13-year-old boy drowned in Lake Naivasha on Tuesday during a swimming expedition with his friends. Police and members of the public retrieved the body after a one-hour search.

The incident has raised concerns about the safety of minors swimming in the lake, as there have been several cases of drowning in recent months.

Amos Kimani, a fisherman in the area, said they heard screams near the landing beach while preparing their nets. He said it was the norm for local youths to venture into the lake for swimming, adding that the latest incident caught them by surprise.

“They were around six teenagers, and we moved very fast to where they were, and it took us over 30 minutes to recover the body as police moved in to collect it,” he said on Tuesday, October 10.

The boy's body was taken to the Naivasha Sub-County Hospital mortuary, where an inquest file has been opened.