A family in Ndiko village in Gatundu North, Kiambu County is in grief following the death of 14-year-old Brian Karanja who downed in Kariminu dam during a swimming expedition with his friends.
According to the boy’s father Peter Thuita, the form one student at Kiangunu Secondary School went to the dam in the company of his colleagues on Sunday afternoon having spent a better part of the day at home.
“His friends who were looking on from a distance as he swam realized all was not well when they failed to see him. They came in haste to tell us about the ordeal. We rushed there but we couldn’t save him because he had already moved to the deep waters,” Thuita said.
He described the deceased as a calm and respectful boy, noting that it was such a painful ordeal to lose the boy at such a promising and young age.
Karanja is the fourth resident to lose his life at the multibillion dam. His body was retrieved and taken to General Kago Funeral Home in Thika.
Residents complained of the number of deaths at the dam, noting with sadness that they thought the dam would address water crisis in the area but it has instead only led to loss of lives.
“Relevant authorities including Athi Water Services Board should ensure the dam does not pose any threat to locals. We are tired of losing innocent lives,” said Esther Ndirangu, a resident.
The residents called on the government through the Ministry of Water to fence the dam to avert such incidences in the future.
“We are calling upon the relevant authorities to fence this dam failure to which we will hold protests until our grievances are heard,” a resident Martin Ng’ethe said.
By Kamau Njoroge
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