Construction worker dies after drowning in Kitui borehole

A construction worker named Muia Mutinda, aged 40, tragically lost his life due to drowning in a borehole at a site in Kitui Central Sub-County on Tuesday evening. Mutinda was on-site working for a man who lived in Nairobi. The incident came to light when authorities were alerted by the Kitui Police Station around 5.40pm on August 11, 2026.

Upon arrival, police officers, including a scene-of-crime officer, confirmed the tragedy and enlisted the help of the county fire brigade. The fire brigade utilized specialized equipment to recover Mutinda's body from the borehole. The body was subsequently transferred to the Kitui County Referral Hospital Mortuary for a postmortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.

Separately, a man named John Terry was found dead in River Gucha, within the Rongo Sub-County of Migori County, also on Tuesday evening. Terry's body was discovered floating in the river and was retrieved by concerned members of the public. The cause of his death has yet to be established as the body awaits a postmortem examination at Rosewood Hospital Mortuary.

Meanwhile, a remandee named Levison Mwachai attempted to escape custody at Shanzu Law Court in Kilifi South Sub-County on Tuesday afternoon. Mwachai, who was facing a rape charge, managed to escape while he was being held in a cell with seven other remandees awaiting transfer to Shimo La Tewa Prison. The court orderly inadvertently facilitated his escape by unlocking the cell for an alleged bathroom break.

Police immediately launched a search for Mwachai within the court, but he was not found. Authorities are actively working to locate and rearrest the escaped suspect.