The family of a 23-year-old man who drowned in Lake Victoria last week Thursday is pleading for humanitarian aid to help them retrieve the body of their son.
The family of the late Tailor Omondi has camped on the shores of Lake Victoria for days waiting to recover the body as the Luo culture dictates that the family of a person who has drowned in a water body must stay at the shore until his body is retrieved.
Friends and family of the deceased were forced to put up tents at Koginga beach in Homa Bay Sub-county where Omondi drowned, appealing to Homa Bay County department of Disaster to come to their aid.
Omondi’s mother Emily Agan said they direly need life jackets to enable more people go into the lake for the search exercise.
“There are many people who are willing to enter in the lake for the retrieval exercise but they cannot do so because they lack life-saving jackets,” Agan said.
The deceased’s aunt Monica Adhiambo expressed concern that they are facing a humanitarian crisis.
“We stay here every day and night with nothing to feed on. We appeal to the county government to come to our aid so that we can get the body of our son as soon as possible,” Adhiambo said.
Koginga Beach Management Unit Chairman Patrick Ochoo said the family needs humanitarian aid because the local culture binds them to spend days and nights by the lake shore until the body is retrieved.
“It has rained here more than two times but the family has to stay at the lake shore. Our culture dictates that the body cannot be retrieved if they continue with their normal lives by sleeping at home,” Ochoo said.
The beach chairman indicated that at least ten more boats are needed to expedite the search operation. “The vessels which are undertaking the search are inadequate. We appeal for more boats and a minimum of ten are required,” he said.
Omondi who was a businessman in Homa Bay town drowned when he went for a swim alongside his two friends in the lake on Thursday last week.
The drowning was reported to Homa Bay Township Sub-location Dancun Odhiambo who also appealed to well-wishers to help the family retrieve the body.
By Sitna Omar
