Kirinyaga: Boy, 9, drowns in Sagana River

Residents of Rurii village in Ndia, Kirinyaga County, are yet to find the body of a 9-year-old boy who drowned in River Sagana on Saturday.

Area residents say the boy drowned while they were fishing with his friend at around noon.

His friend, who escaped death by a whisker, raised the alarm, attracting residents who live near the river.

“After we arrived, the boy told us that they were swimming in the river using a banana trunk, and after they discovered a net in the river, they decided to fish,” said Mbuthia Mungai.

The boy’s mother, Nancy Nditi, said they have been camping near the river since Saturday evening, and efforts to find the body had yet borne fruit.

“I could not imagine Joseph is no more. I wish his body could be retrieved so we can bury him,” Nditi said.

Police on Sunday brought divers to assist in the search operation they were not successful.

Residents and the divers said water currents are making it difficult to trace the body.