10-year-old girl drowns in River Awach
Residents of in Kochia ward in Rangwe Sub-county, Homa Bay County drive their livestock through a flooded road on November 16, 2020.
What you need to know:
- Amateur divers from the village have been searching for the body but have encountered challenges in the muddy water.
- The family has expressed fears that unless they get help from the county government they may never retrieve the body.
A family in Central Kochia location in Rangwe Sub-County has been camping on the banks of River Awach for the last three days after their 10-year-old daughter drowned on Friday.
The search for the body of the girl, who was a pupil at Nyarut ECDE Centre, is in progress.
The girl, who has been identified as Quinter Achieng, slipped and fell into the river as she was playing with her friends near the banks of the flooded river.
Mr Frederick Otieno, the father of the girl, said his daughter’s body could have been swept into Lake Victoria by strong currents.
Amateur divers from the village have been searching for the body but have encountered challenges in the muddy water.
The absence of professional divers has also hampered ongoing efforts to retrieve the body.
Heavy rains
The family has expressed fears that unless they get help from the county government they may never retrieve the body of their daughter due to the rising water levels.
Kochia is prone to floods as a result of heavy rains in the region.
"We have temporarily suspended the search because of the floods. The rising water level is dangerous,” said Mr Otieno.
Residents have also complained that hippos from the river have been straying into their farms and straying into nearby homesteads.
The family appealed to the county and national governments to assist them retrieve the body so that they could bury their daughter.
Central Kochia Location Chief Eucabeth Obila confirmed the drowning incident saying the search for the body is still in progress.
