Tragedy hits SDA church conference as two boys die in Migori

Fredrick Ochieng and Pinto Moses harvest sand in the Migori River on July 20, 2012. A 15-year-old boy drowned in the river on December 8, 2016 when he slipped while fetching water. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The boys were attending the West Kenya Union SDA conference at the Lichota Grounds when they died in different circumstances.
  • In the first incident, a 15-year-old drowned in the Migori River when he slipped while fetching water.
  • The second boy, aged 11, was reported to have died of pneumonia.

Tragedy struck a church meeting in Migori town after two boys died on Thursday.

The boys were attending the West Kenya Union SDA conference at the Lichota Grounds when they died in different circumstances.

In the first incident, a 15-year-old who sat his KCPE exams this year in Muhoroni, drowned in the Migori River when he slipped while fetching water.

“He was in a group of other children who had gone to the river, located one kilometre away, to fetch water. His body is yet to be found,” said Migori County police boss David Kirui.

Local divers and Kenya Red Cross officials were still searching for the body.

The second boy, aged 11, was reported to have died of pneumonia.

The victim was pronounced dead on arrival at Migori Hospital.

“We have launched investigations to establish the circumstances of these two deaths,” said Mr Kirui.

Following the tragedies, some parents quickly withdrew their children from the camp meeting and took them back home.

“It seems the organisers are not able to control the movement of our daughters and girls… Arrangements should have been made to bring water here instead of sending them to fetch water in the deep river,” said Margaret Okello, whose daughter was at the camp.

She said the safety of children should be the top priority during such gatherings.

Church officials, however, denied claims of negligence, saying accidents were sometimes unavoidable.

Participants from Nyanza, western and parts of the Rift Valley are attending the one-week conference. They were staying in makeshift tents.