A boy dies after drowning in a private dam in Meru

Residents of Kairiri village in Timau ward, Buuri constituency in Meru County had a hard time retrieving the body of a 12-year-old boy.

The boy drowned in a private dam on Monday evening prompting the residents to start a search.

A resident, Mwathe Nderi, said locals originally tried unsuccessfully to drain the water from the dam using different methods in a bid to spot and retrieve the body.

“When we went to the dam we found the deceased's clothes lying nearby. After realising we might waste the entire day here, the youths decided to dive into the dam and look for the body. After vigorous search, they managed to retrieve it," Nderi said.

Police officers arrived later and inspected the dam but left without doing anything. 

The residents are now calling for the immediate fencing of all dams in the locality in a bid to avoid such tragic incidents in the future.

They also want the dams to be enclosed with net in order to ensure that nobody accidentally trips and falls into the dam.

“We are really shocked and pained by the tragic incident which happened last night. We are lost for words. Parents should always ensure that they take care of their children. The dam is too large and a risk to everyone. It should be fenced in order to avoid such tragedies,” said Ms Purity Kanana, a resident.

She added that children should not be sent to the forest alone because the dam is located near the road which makes it unsafe for the minors.

She said anybody including the grown ups can fall into the dam noting that it poses danger to the children and the entire community.

Police officers have already launched investigations into the incident.