Muthomi Ireri
A 25-year-old man drowned in Mwea Constituency, Kirinyaga County, while attempting to swim across a National Irrigation Authority dam to win a Ksh 300 bet on Sunday.
The tragic incident occurred around 6:30 p.m., leaving the residents of Maisha Kamili in Ngurubani Town and Kamucege Village in shock.
The victim, Kelvin Gitonga, was a well-known swimmer and boda boda operator in Ngurubani. He had allegedly made a bet with a friend that he could swim from one end of the dam to the other. Witnesses reported that he was near the shore when he tragically drowned. His friend, who had placed the bet, fled the scene shortly after the incident.
Philip Njogu, a local resident, expressed his disbelief. “We rushed to the dam as soon as we heard the news, but it’s hard to believe Kelvin drowned. He was an experienced swimmer.”
Kinyua Warui, another resident, described the moments leading up to the tragedy. “Kelvin was confident he could make it, and he was almost at the shore when it happened. This isn’t the first time he and his friends have made such bets.”
The residents of Kamucege and Ngurubani have called on the National Irrigation Authority to fence the dam, citing this as the second death in the area.
Rice farmers, led by Tebere Unit leader Alex Nguo, have also urged for increased safety measures. “The dam was built to support rice farming during the dry season, but it needs to be fenced to prevent further tragedies,” Nguo stated.
Efforts to retrieve Gitonga’s body continued late into the night, with local divers and police from Wanguru Police Station on the scene. On Monday morning, water from the dam was diverted to nearby rice farms to aid in the search.
“We are confident the body will be recovered so the family can give him a proper send-off,” Nguo added.
Dj Vnyash
