A man drowned on Tuesday morning after an ox-drawn cart he was riding on accidentally plunged into Masinga dam
Stephen Nzomo, 28, rode from Kikulani village in Mwea sub-location and arrived at Mbondoni water fetching point at around 9am.
Owing to distant they covered, the oxen pulling the cart rushed to drink water before he could alight from it.
The animals, unfortunately, went into a deep section of the dam and Nzomo was tipped into the water and started moving into the centre where it was deepest.
Makima location senior chief Charles Ngare told the Star on the phone that some residents who were cultivating land nearby witnessed the accident.
They rushed and cut off the ropes which fastened the oxen to the cart to try and save Nzomo and the animals.
Nzomo drowned but the oxen swam to the bank of the dam and escaped to safety.
Fishermen mounted a search and found Nzomo's body. It was taken to the Embu Level 5 Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary.
Ngare said that this was not the first such accident at the water point. Several people have lost their lives while fetching water in the dam.
He said the accidents were sufficient reasons for hastening a Sh108 million piped water project commenced by the Kengen and the Embu county government.
The project was launched on August 29 by Embu deputy governor David Kariuki Water executive Njiru Mbogo, Kengen Eastern regional manager Julius Odumbe among other leaders, at Mbondoni shopping centre.
During the function, area MCA Philip Nzangi said about five people had been killed by crocodiles, buffalo or drowned in Makima area while in search of water.
He said a pregnant woman was killed by a crocodile in Masinga dam recently, a boy and two bulls drowned, while yet another boy was killed by a buffalo.
Nzangi said two other people were attacked by crocodiles. He said that the ward is surrounded by dams and the Thiba River but it is without an inch of piped water.
The leaders said for many years residents in the semi-arid subcounty have suffered acute shortages of water.
(edited by O. Owino)