Two pupils drown while attempting to retrieve water jerrycan in Tharaka Nithi

Two schoolgirls, aged 15 and 13, lost their lives in the Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya, while trying to retrieve a water jerrycan from Thingithu River. The deceased included a Grade 9 student and a Grade 7 student, both of whom were part of a class supervised by a teacher on duty at their school. On a Sunday evening, the pupils ventured to the river to fetch water when one of the jerrycans slipped into the water.

One girl jumped in to recover it, but unfortunately, she too drowned. Her friend then entered the river to rescue her, but she also met her demise. Police arrived at the scene, recovered the bodies, and they are currently in the mortuary for preservation until postmortem examinations are completed.

In a separate incident, a 20-year-old student named Kennedy Nyaga Rutere tragically drowned while swimming with classmates in Chania River, Thika West, Kiambu County. The swimming exercise was taking place normally when Rutere drowned. Despite the efforts of his friends to save him, Rutere's body was recovered by the police and members of the public at around 5:45 pm on the same day.

His body was taken to General Kago Mortuary for further investigation, and no visible injuries were observed. Both incidents have left the victims' families devastated.