Pupils drown as windstorms leave hundreds homeless

Five pupils drowned in Murang’a and Embu counties as they were returning home from school.

Three of the pupils, all girls aged below six years, were swept away by the raging waters of Kiruri seasonal river, as they walked home in Kiambere location, Embu County.

The nursery pupils at Karura Primary School in Mbeere South were in a group of five when they attempted to cross the swollen river.

Local MCA Leonard Mwaniki said two other pupils were rescued by the public near Rutumbi village.

SWIMMING
The dead were identified as Mary Karimi, Bricy Muthoni and Eunice Kagendo.

Their bodies were found trapped by trees about 100 metres from River Tana — near Kiambere Dam.

The MCA took the survivors to Embu Level Five Hospital. “Grief has engulfed the area due to the tragedy. It is a very sad day for us,” he said, urging school administrators not to allow children to go home alone in the rain.

In Murang’a, two pupils from Kigio Primary School in Gatanga constituency who had been sent away from school to get tuition fees drowned in River Chania while swimming.

The two cousins aged 14 and 12 were accompanied by another pupil who survived the furious waters and alerted the affected families.

TUITION FEES
Gatanga OCPD Beatrice Kiraguri said the two had been sent home on Tuesday at around noon.

“We have recovered their bodies and their clothes at the river bank,” she said, adding that investigations had been launched.

The father of one of the girls, Mr Paul Munyui, criticised the head teacher for sending the children home to get tuition fees — a practice that was banned recently by the government.

In Nyanza, at least four people have died as a result of heavy rains pounding the region in the past five days.

In Siaya County, two men drowned on Tuesday night following a heavy downpour and storms that hit their fishing boat.

Ndeda Island Beach Management Unit chairman Joseph Waguma said the two — Collins Onyango and Marcus Opiyo — were fishing in the stormy lake.

HOUSES DESTROYED
Family members have for the past three days been camping at Ndeda Island beach hoping to retrieve the bodies.

County Commander Patrick Lumumba said the incident occurred at about 11 am during heavy rains and storms.

“The waves were too strong. Consequently, Collins Onyango, 35, and Marcus Opiyo, 33, died,” he said.

Meanwhile, at least 100 families were rendered homeless by windstorms in West Yimbo location.

The storms started at about 9am and blew off the roofs of many houses, besides sweeping away crops and flooding the roads.

FLASH FLOODS
The roofs of more than five churches, schools and residential homes were blown off.

Three children were injured and property destroyed at Lake Breeze Academy near Uhanya beach.

At Usenge beach, the storm destroyed a Sh10 million ice plant and office.

In Kisumu, one person died after being swept away by flash floods on Saturday night.

And in Homa Bay, a 32-year-old fisherman drowned in Lake Victoria on Tuesday evening.

Reports by Charles Wanyoro, Ndungu Gachane, Elizabeth Ojina and Barack Oduor