Search on for museums official who died while taking photos at Kibuka falls

A search has been mounted for a National Museums of Kenya employee who reportedly drowned on Wednesday evening while taking pictures at the famed Kibuka falls in Tana River in Tharaka Nithi County.

Mr Atanasias Mugendi Gitemba, from Makanyanga, Igambang’ombe sub-county, was with his friend Sebalio Mucee at the falls in Tharaka South sub-county when he slipped and fell into the dangerous falls and drowned.

Mr Mucee said he and Mr Gitemba, 42, a Nairobi National Museum employee, had been taking photos for about 15 minutes when he fell.

He said he tried to save him with the help of other people who had responded to his cries but he disappeared into the deep water.

“He had asked me to accompany him for an adventure at the falls when he accidentally fell and drowned,” Mr Mucee said.

He said Mr Gitemba tried to swim to safety but he disappeared after a few minutes.

Kirukuma sub-location Assistant Chief Mutegi Somboso said the matter had been reported to the police and a search was launched.

He said the man drowned at the point where the Gituma River joins the Tana River and was pushed by the strong currents into the deep water.

He said the site is rocky and dangerous and water moves at high speed.

“I think the two were very new at the falls and did not seek guidance from locals, because people do not usually get to the point where he fell as it is very dangerous,” Mr Somboso said.

He noted that it is difficult for a person to swim to safety or even be rescued from the falls.

The falls is where the proposed 165-square-kilometre, Sh200 billion High Grand Falls Dam is expected to be constructed.  

That point of the Tana River, the longest in Kenya, separates Tharaka Nithi County with Kitui County.

The proposed dam, which is facing procurement wrangles, is expected to hold over 5.6 billion cubic metres of water that will be used to irrigate over 250,000 hectares of land and produce over 700MW of electricity.