The body of a middle-aged man who drowned in River Tana while swimming has been recovered after a day of search.
According to the police report, Richard Kimani, a jua kali artisan in Garissa, in the company of an unidentified friend were relaxing at the banks of the river when the deceased decided to swim in the river.
After sometime, Kimani was said to have vanished, and the friend tried to call for help, but rescue efforts became futile.
While confirming the events, Garissa Township Sub County Police Commander Samuel Boit warned the residents against swimming in the river saying that the water levels were increasing due to the ongoing rains in upstream counties.
“After receiving the reports of drowning, we summoned a team comprising the Kenya Redcross, local divers and the police who began searching for the body along the river Tana.
“I want to warn the residents against swimming in the Tana River. The river is deep, the water volume is high and there are dangerous animals like crocodiles in there,” he said.
He said that the body was moved to Garissa mortuary for preservation and postmortem examination.
The area village elder, Alex Njeru, urged community members to stay away from the river or activities that may endanger their lives adding that rains from the Mount Kenya region are increasing the surface level of the river.
“We are calling upon the community in this rainy season to stay away from the river for the time being,” Njeru said.
A resident of Garissa County, Damaris Wanjiku, urged the people to beware of the dangers posed by flooded rivers while at the same time commended the efforts made by the locals who had come together to help retrieve the missing body.
By Grace Nyawira
