Body of Malava Boys student who drowned in River Kuywa retrieved
Residents of Matisi area watch over River Kuywa from a bridge during the retrieval exercise of the body of a 16-year-old who drowned in the river.
What you need to know:
- The boy's body was retrieved on Sunday at Matisi area after a vigorous search.
- The desperate efforts by the victim's younger brother, who was also with him, to rescue him bore no fruits.
The body of a 16-year-old Form One student at Malava Boys Secondary School who drowned in River Kuywa has been retrieved by local divers.
Frank William Kisaka, who had gone swimming with three friends on Friday last week, drowned after the waters overpowered him.
His body was retrieved on Sunday at Matisi area after a vigorous search.
The desperate efforts by the victim's younger brother, who was also with him, to rescue him bore no fruits.
Edwin Wafula, the father of the deceased, said he was deeply saddened by his son's tragic death.
"My son left home with three of friends after finishing chores assigned to him. Little did I know that I was seeing him for the last time," said the tearful father.
Wafula said son was a good swimmer who often swum in the river. He said he was at loss of what happened on the fateful day.
He said that his son was a very disciplined boy who assisted him with lots of work at home.
Mr Wafula described his son as a very brilliant boy who performed well in school.
Painful loss
"My son wanted to be a civil engineer after finishing his studies and assist me in my old age together with his other younger siblings. Now we have lost him in such a painful way we pray God to comfort and strengthen us," he said.
Gregory Masafu, the uncle of the deceased, said that the teenager had been raised by his uncles in Kimilili until he joined secondary.
Masafu asked Bungoma County government to set up a rescue unit that will be responding quickly to such cases.
Edwin Wafula the father of the teenager who downed in River Kuywa speaks to the media after his son's body was retrieved.
He said that failure by the County to have such a team has led to loss of many lives especially in River Nzoia.
Caroline Juma, a resident of Matisi, said that the body will be buried at night after elders perform rituals according to Bukusu traditions.
"The divers who retrieved the body will be given a cow, a sheep and some cash," she said.
She also explained that the receipt of the money are not supposed to spend it at their homes but somewhere far.
She said that the main reason for giving out the items and performing the ritual is to ensure that the calamity does not befall the family again.
