Bet Gone Wrong: Man Drowns in Dam for Ksh.300
A 25-year-old man tragically drowned in Mwea Constituency, Kirinyaga County, while trying to swim across a National Irrigation Authority dam to win a Ksh 300 wager on Sunday.
The incident, which occurred around 6:30 p.m., left residents of Maisha Kamili in Ngurubani Town and Kamucege Village in shock.
Kelvin Gitonga, a familiar face in Ngurubani known for his swimming skills and boda boda services, reportedly bet a friend that he could swim from one end of the dam to the other.
Witnesses said he was nearing the shore when he unfortunately drowned. The friend who made the bet with him vanished shortly after the incident.
Resident Philip Njogu expressed his astonishment at the news. “We rushed to the dam immediately upon hearing, but it’s hard to believe Kelvin drowned. He was an experienced swimmer.”
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Kinyua Warui, another local, described the events leading up to the tragedy. “Kelvin was confident he could make it and was nearly at the shore when it happened. This isn’t the first time he and his friends have made such bets.”
Residents from Kamucege and Ngurubani have called on the National Irrigation Authority to install fencing around the dam, noting that this is the second fatality in the area.
Rice farmers, led by Tebere Unit leader Alex Nguo, have joined the call for improved safety measures.
“The dam was built to support rice farming during dry seasons, but fencing is necessary to prevent further accidents,” Nguo remarked.
Search efforts for Gitonga’s body continued into the night, with local divers and police from Wanguru Police Station involved in the operation.
On Monday morning, water from the dam was redirected to nearby rice fields to aid in the search.
“We are hopeful that the body will be recovered so the family can give him a proper farewell,” Nguo added.
Bet Gone Wrong: Man Drowns in Dam for Ksh.300
