Kirinyaga University student drowns in Thiba River
A Kirinyaga University student is feared dead after drowning while swimming in Thiba River in Kutus, Mwea East Sub-County, Kirinyaga County.
The incident occurred on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at around 2:30pm.
The student, identified as Gideon Ekai Loyolo, had reportedly gone swimming in the river when he was overwhelmed by the force of the water and drowned.
Another student from the same university reported the incident to the police.
Police visited the scene and launched a search for the missing student.
However, efforts to locate and retrieve his body were unsuccessful by the time of reporting.
The search operation was ongoing, with police indicating that further updates would be provided as more information became available.
The exercise resumed on Monday with hopes of recovering the body.
And the decomposing body of a 49-year-old man who had been reported missing has been recovered from River Nyamindi in Kirinyaga East Sub-County.
The body of Andrew Chomba Nyaga was discovered on Sunday, October 18, 2026, in Mbiri Sub-Location, Njukiini North Location, after an area assistant chief alerted police to the incident.
Police officers from Gathoge Police Station, accompanied by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Kirinyaga East and scenes-of-crime personnel from Kerugoya, rushed to the scene.
The body was found trapped in river vegetation, lying on its back, with part of the head severely decomposed.
Nyaga had reportedly been reported missing at Mbiri Police Patrol Base on October 13, 2026.
Officers, assisted by members of the public, retrieved the body from the river, which was subsequently positively identified by family members.
Scenes-of-crime officers photographed and processed the scene before the body was moved to Kibugi Funeral Home, where it is being preserved pending a postmortem examination to establish the cause of death.
Police are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
