Schoolboy on swimming expedition drowns in Nyeri’s Gura River

A nine-year-old schoolboy’s swimming expedition turned tragic after he drowned in Gura River in Mukurwe-ini, Nyeri County.

News of the tragedy shocked residents of Kaheti Location where the boy lived with his grandmother.

Clement Kabue Njoki, a Class Four pupil at Matiraini Primary School, had spent the entire Sunday with his grandmother Margret Muthoni performing household chores before sneaking out to go for swimming.

Ms Muthoni said she was traumatized after a neighbour informed her about the incident.

“We were together for the whole day performing different chores at home. He sneaked at around 5pm after drinking tea. I was milking the cow when I learnt about his death,” recounted Ms Muthoni.

Kabue’s mother, Teresa Njoki, works as a househelp in Saudi Arabia.

The boy’s body was spotted at around 6pm by a man who was assisting an old woman to cross the river to the neighbouring Aguthi Village.

Police officers took it to Mukurwe-ini District Hospital mortuary.

“I only came back home carrying his clothes and sandals which were collected on the banks of the river,” said a distraught Ms Muthoni.

Residents have called for the building of a proper bridge saying that a number of people have fallen into the river and died while crossing it.

“A woman slipped off and fell into the river. Her body was never found. Another man also drowned on his way home. It is a killer section due to lack of a bridge,” said Njoki Ngunjiri, a resident.