Families mourn two girls who drowned while swimming
Residents of Mugoiri village in Kahuro Sub-County, Murang’a County and police officers on the banks of Kaihungu River where two schoolgirls who had gone to swim on January 20, 2019 drowned. Their bodies were retrieved on Monday. PHOTO | NDUNG'U GACHANE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Headteacher James Ndirangu said the two were very close friends who assisted each other in their schoolwork.
- Mugoiri Senior Chief Mathew Miako said the bodies were taken to Muriranjas District Hospital mortuary.
- He urged parents to ensure they know the whereabouts of their children to avert such incidents.
Two families from Mugoiri village of Kahuro Sub-County in Murang’a County are mourning after their two daughters who were on swimming expedition drowned.
The two girls, Dorcas Munyiva and Deliba Wanjiku, had come from church on Sunday in the company of six others when they decided to go to the nearby Kaihungu River to swim but they drowned.
Their bodies were retrieved from the river on Monday.
The two girls were Standard Eight pupils at Ignatius Primary School.
CLOSE FRIENDS
The school’s headteacher James Ndirangu said the two were very close friends who assisted each other in their schoolwork.
Mr Ndirangu said immediately after the incident was reported, a search was launched but it was called off at 6.30pm and resumed on Monday when the bodies were retrieved at noon.
“The pupils loved each other and they were inseparable. Due to their joint efforts in studies their performance improved and we had hopes in them but the hopes have been shattered by the cruel hand of death,” he said.
TAKE CARE OF CHILDREN
Mugoiri Senior Chief Mathew Miako who led the search operation said the bodies were taken to Muriranjas District Hospital mortuary.
He urged parents to ensure they know the whereabouts of their children to avert such incidents.
“I urge parents to always be mindful of the whereabouts of their children so that we can avert such incidents. The children should also not be going to swim without the guidance of their older peers or parents,” he said.
The deaths of the girls have paralysed education in their school as the rest of the pupils are yet to come to terms with the incident.
In a similar incident, a Form Two student from Kimathi Secondary School in Kigetuini village in the same constituency drowned in Sagana River and his body retrieved on Sunday evening.
