A somber mood engulfed Ngarendare village in Ontulili, Timau Ward, Buuri Constituency, Meru County, after the bodies of two teenage boys who drowned in a local dam were finally retrieved.
The boys, aged 17 and 16, were from Karama in Tigania East.
According to Boniface Mugambi, a relative of the deceased, one of the boys had entered the dam to swim, and the other drowned while trying to rescue him.
“We are deeply saddened by this unfortunate incident,” he said.
Mugambi expressed frustrations with the Meru County emergency response team for taking too long before retrieving the bodies.
“We called for help from the County Government’s divers and rescue department, but they ignored us. It’s shameful that divers from Laikipia County arrived here, yet our own county did nothing,” he said.
Local residents and family members had been trying to retrieve the bodies for four days without success.
Eventually, assistance from the Kenya Red Cross and other volunteers helped in the recovery.
Area senior chief Geoffrey Mwangi confirmed the tragedy and warned residents against venturing into dams or still waters.
“This dam has become a serious danger. Just four days before this, there was another such incident. I urge everyone to stay away from dams and rivers for their own safety” he said.
Following the tragedy, local residents are calling for the dam to be filled in with stones to prevent future incidents.
Pius Murithi, a neighbour living near the dam, said, “We struggled for days to retrieve the bodies. We thank the Red Cross for their help. These were young boys with their whole lives ahead of them. Parents must caution children against swimming in unsafe areas.”
