Two children drown in a Tharaka Nithi river
FILE IMAGE OF A POLICE LINE
Two three-year-old children from different families have drowned in River Gathita in Tharaka South Sub-County, Tharaka Nithi County.
The children were reported missing on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, after failing to return home.
Their parents and guardians launched a search and later discovered their lifeless bodies in River Gathita.
Police officers visited the scene and recovered the bodies.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the two children may have gone to the river to swim before drowning.
Police said the bodies had no visible injuries, although water was reportedly coming from their noses and mouths.
The bodies were moved to the mortuary at Marimanti Level 4 Hospital, where they are being preserved pending post-mortem examinations.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the drowning.
Elsewhere, a 23-year-old herdsman is feared to have drowned in a farm dam in Kirima Sub-Location, Lunda Village, Nyandarua County.
Silas Ndunde, who worked as a herdsman at Mainyaki Farm, was reported missing on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, after taking lunch at about 1:30pm.
Ndunde had been assigned to herd sheep at the farm and was last seen around the dam.
His colleagues searched for him after noticing that he was missing but could not locate him.
Police visited the scene and found several items believed to belong to Ndunde.
The items included a pair of black gumboots, grey socks, a smartphone that was still playing music and a herding stick, all found on one side of the dam.
Police said the dam measures approximately 36 metres by 40 metres and is about four metres deep. At the time of the incident, it was filled to a level of about 3.5 metres.
The water reservoir is used for irrigation during the dry season.
DCI officers processed and photographed the scene before recovering the items, which were preserved as exhibits.
The search for Ndunde’s body was still ongoing as of Wednesday evening, with search teams at the scene.
