Kisumu villagers fear Lake Victoria after crocodile eats girl

Residents of Kamwanda Village, Osiri Sub-Location of Kisumu County, are living in fear following crocodiles attacks in Lake Victoria.

The latest attack was the killing of a 13-year-old girl on Thursday last week, when she and eight other children went to bathe at the shores of the lake.

ATTACK

The reptile attacked Rose Achieng as she was getting out of the water.

“Without screaming and in the split of a second, we suddenly saw Achieng submerge in the water and she disappeared just like that,” said Pamela Akoth, who witnessed the incident.

After a two-day search, her dismembered body was recovered about 200 metres from the scene and taken to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary.

“We only found her head and right hand in a thicket outside the water since the crocodile had eaten the rest of the body,” said her aunt Eunice Akoth, who lived with the girl.

DANGER

Patrick Ombedu, a villager, urged the government to sink boreholes for the residents to avoid the danger of animal attacks.

“This is the fifth attack by crocodiles to have taken place in this village in the last two years. The government needs to take some action to avoid any further loss of life,” he said.

“We are also calling on the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to ensure that the marauding hippos don’t pose a danger to the residents and their livestock.”

CAUTION

Achieng’s head teacher at Mboto Sunrise Primary School, Arnolda Wandera, said the girl was a disciplined, hardworking and obedient pupil, with an exemplary performance record.

Kisumu County Commander John Kamau urged residents living along the shores of Lake Victoria to be cautious.