Three boys aged between 9 and 12 years, among them twins, drowned on Sunday in a dam inside Nyahururu Golf Club. The dam is in the neighbourhood of Maina Slums in Laikipia County.
They had reportedly toured the area in order to catch a glimpse of a helicopter that had ferried Deputy President William Ruto to the area.
DP Ruto was visiting Ndaragwa Township for a funds drive. He soon proceeded by road to the township, which is only a few kilometers from Nyahururu town.
Ms Susan Wambui, a neighbour of the victims, indicated, “We suspect that the twins decided to swim at the dam after failing to see the chopper. The third boy drowned as he was trying to rescue the two.”
Wambui also mentioned that the mother of the twins had allowed them to go see the chopper before they were joined by a friend.
Assistant County Commissioner Wambui Irungu confirmed the incident indicating that the two boys dived into the dam to swim but they were soon overpowered by the water.
Their friend who dived into the water to try and save them was also overpowered by the water.
"They died after being overwhelmed by the water. When we arrived at the scene, villagers had already retrieved the twins’ bodies from the dam," Wambui indicated.
The Assistant County Commissioner also noted that they had directed the management of the club to fence the dam in order to avoid such occurrences in the future.
“We are also advising parents to warn their children against trespassing into private property. The dam is located in a private facility,” she added.
Laikipia County Government fire engine was called to pump out the water from the dam after which the bodies were retrieved and taken to the Nyahururu County Referral Hospital mortuary.
