Girl dies after falling into open borehole at Kisumu Daycare
FILE IMAGE OF A POLICE LINE
A one-year-old girl has died after allegedly falling into an open borehole at a daycare facility in the Upepo area of Kisumu East Sub-County.
The child was found floating in the borehole on Sunday evening, October 11, 2026, according to police.
Her father told police that he had taken his daughter to a daycare facility operated by a woman in the morning.
However, when he returned to collect her at around 5:45pm, he was reportedly informed that the toddler had fallen into an open borehole within the estate.
Police officers rushed to the scene in Upepo area, within Wathotego Sub-location.
Upon arrival, the officers found the child’s body floating in the borehole.
Personnel from the Kisumu County Fire Brigade retrieved the body, which was subsequently moved to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) mortuary for preservation pending a postmortem examination.
Police recorded the incident at around 8:40pm, with investigations expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
The tragedy raises fresh concerns about the safety of young children in daycare facilities, particularly the need to secure open boreholes and other potentially dangerous structures in residential compounds.
The circumstances under which the toddler accessed the borehole had not been fully established by the time of reporting.
Elsewhere, a two-year-old boy died after drowning in a water pond at a neighbour’s homestead in Nzise Village, Makueni County.
The child was found floating in a pond approximately two meters deep on Sunday evening, October 11, 2026.
According to police, the boy had been playing with two other children at the homestead of a neighbour.
The two other children reportedly returned to their homes later in the evening, but Shine remained missing.
His aunt subsequently searched for him and discovered his body floating in the water pond.
A team of officers led by the deputy Officer Commanding Station visited the scene and took the necessary action.
The boy’s body was later moved to Nuclear Funeral Home in Wote, where it was preserved pending a postmortem examination to establish the cause of death.
The incident occurred in Kyuasini Sub-location, Okia Location, within Makueni Sub-County.
The tragedy highlights the dangers posed by uncovered water ponds and other open water sources, particularly to young children playing in residential compounds.
Authorities are expected to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
And a fisherman is feared drowned in Lake Victoria after falling from a boat while on a fishing expedition near Migingo Island in Migori County.
The incident occurred on Sunday, October 11, 2026.
The missing fisherman, identified only as Jerry, was fishing alongside two other Kenyan fishermen when the incident happened.
The three had left Migingo Island for a fishing expedition when Jerry reportedly attempted to relieve himself while standing at the edge of their boat.
He allegedly slipped and fell into the lake, prompting his colleagues to attempt a rescue.
However, the two fishermen were unable to save him because of strong water currents, forcing them to return to the island and report the incident to their manager at Manzil Fishing Company.
The company manager reported the incident to police at around 6:10pm, triggering a search and rescue operation.
Police said a search team had been assembled and efforts to locate and recover the missing fisherman’s body were ongoing.
The incident highlights the risks faced by fishermen operating on Lake Victoria, where unpredictable water conditions can complicate rescue efforts.
