A 25-year-old man drowned in Mwea Constituency, Kirinyaga County, while attempting to swim across a National Irrigation Authority dam to win a Ksh 300 bet on Sunday.
The tragic incident happened around 6:30 p.m., shocking residents of Maisha Kamili in Ngurubani Town and Kamucege Village.
Kelvin Gitonga, a well-known swimmer and boda boda operator in Ngurubani, allegedly made a bet with a friend that he could swim from one end of the dam to another.
According to witnesses, he was close to reaching the shore when he tragically drowned. His friend, who had placed the bet, disappeared shortly after the incident.
Philip Njogu, a local resident, expressed disbelief at the news. “We rushed to the dam as soon as we heard, but it’s hard to believe Kelvin drowned. He was an experienced swimmer.”
Kinyua Warui, another local, recounted the events leading up to the incident. “Kelvin was confident he could make it, and he was almost at the shore when it happened. This isn’t the first time he and his friends have made such bets.”
Residents of Kamucege and Ngurubani have urged the National Irrigation Authority to fence the dam, citing this as the second death in the area.
Rice farmers, led by Tebere Unit leader Alex Nguo, echoed the call for increased safety measures.
“The dam was constructed to support rice farming during the dry season, but we need it fenced to prevent further tragedies,” Nguo stated.
Efforts to retrieve Gitonga’s body continued late into the night, with local divers and police from Wanguru Police Station on the scene.
Water from the dam was diverted to nearby rice farms on Monday morning to facilitate the search.
“We are confident the body will be recovered so the family can give him a proper send-off,” Nguo added.
