- The body of Joseph Onyancha, a Riokindo Boys High School student who drowned at River Nyakwana, has been retrieved after a two-day search involving Kisii Disaster Management, police and Bomet County divers.
- Sarah Nyaenya has called for the county to strengthen its disaster management team through regular training and to identify dangerous zones for mitigation, under the guidance of Governor Simba Arati.
The body of Joseph Onyancha, a Riokindo Boys High School student who drowned at River Nyakwana, has finally been retrieved, following a two-day search involving the Kisii Disaster Management and Rescue team, police, and divers from neighbouring Bomet County.
Kisii County Governor’s Advisor on Cooperative Matters, Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr. Sarah Nyaenya, lauded the joint effort that led to the recovery of the body of Joseph Onyancha, 19, who drowned after joining his friends to swim in the river on Tuesday. “I joined the team in the search for the two days and retrieved the body against our expectations of finding the boy alive,” she said.
Speaking at the scene shortly after the recovery, Dr. Nyaenya underscored the need for Kisii County to strengthen its disaster management team through periodic induction courses to help them cope with increasing emergency incidents. She said that under the guidance of Governor Simba Arati, the county would work to identify dangerous areas, including road black spots, and put in place mitigative strategies.
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According to reports, Onyancha, a Form Four student at Riokindo Boys High School, had gone to River Nyakwana with four schoolmates on Tuesday afternoon to swim and wash clothes after classes. Witnesses said the group was swimming near Nyakwana Waterfalls, a deep and rocky section of the river known for strong undercurrents. Onyancha reportedly slipped from a slippery rock and was swept into the deep pool by the heavy currents.
His friends attempted to rescue him but were overpowered by the water, prompting them to raise an alarm that attracted locals, who searched in vain before reporting the incident to the chief and the sub-county disaster team.
The search, which lasted two days, was hampered by heavy water volume and poor visibility. The body was finally retrieved on Thursday morning a few metres downstream, after divers from Bomet County joined the Kisii team and police in the operation. The body has been taken to Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary pending a postmortem.
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Riokindo Boys High School Deputy Principal in charge of administration, David Makori, mourned Onyancha as a calm, disciplined and hardworking boy whose bright future was cut short. His death comes barely a week after the burial of another Form Four student from the same school, who died following a short illness, leaving the school community in deep mourning.
Dr. Nyaenya cautioned students and residents against swimming in dangerous rivers, particularly during the rainy season, and urged parents and schools to sensitise learners on water safety.
By Enock Okong’o
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