A 25-year-old man tragically drowned on Sunday evening in Mwea Constituency, Kirinyaga County, while attempting to swim across a dam managed by the National Irrigation Authority to win a Ksh 300 bet. The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. at Maisha Kamili in Ngurubani Town and Kamucege Village.
The deceased, identified as Kelvin Gitonga, was a well-known boda boda operator and an experienced swimmer in Ngurubani.
According to witnesses, Gitonga had bet with a friend that he could swim from one end of the dam to the other. Despite his confidence and swimming abilities, he tragically drowned just as he was nearing the shore.
His friend, who had made the bet, fled the scene immediately after the incident, leaving residents shocked and heartbroken.
Philip Njogu, a local resident, expressed disbelief at the news, saying, “Kelvin was an excellent swimmer. We rushed to the dam as soon as we heard, but it’s hard to believe he drowned.”
Another resident, Kinyua Warui, recalled, “He was almost at the shore when it happened. This isn’t the first time he and his friends have made such bets, but it’s the first time it ended in tragedy.”
The incident has sparked calls from the residents of Kamucege and Ngurubani for the National Irrigation Authority to fence the dam, noting that this is the second death in the area. Alex Nguo, the Tebere Unit leader, urged for increased safety measures, stating, “The dam was built to support rice farming, but it must be fenced to prevent further tragedies.”
Efforts to recover Gitonga’s body continued late into the night, with police and local divers at the scene. On Monday morning, water from the dam was diverted to nearby rice farms to facilitate the search.
