Two brothers drowned on Sunday evening as they tried to cross a flooded Sibilo River in Baringo North.
The bodies of Thomas Chepkong’a, 24 and his 22-year-old brother Francis Chepkonga were both retrieved from the river at Sibilo trading centre, 12km away from where they drowned.
They were from Koiboware village. The bodies were retrieved by residents on Monday afternoon.
“They might have attempted to cross the swollen river at around 6pm before being overwhelmed by the strength of the water,” Loruk assistant chief Samuel Kamuren said.
Three of four other people who were with the brother have been declared missing after they were swept away by raging waters from the seasonal river. The fourth person managed to cross the swollen river.
The administrator said they were still investigating the whereabouts of the missing trio.
“They were a group of six, one managed to sail through while three are yet to be accounted for,” Kamuren said.
Police were still yet to arrive at the scene to collect the bodies by the time of going to press.
Kamuren said the incident occurred amid the heavy rains that continue to pound the area since last week.
The locals however blamed the deaths on the notorious selling and consumption of illicit alcohol in the area.
“No individual with a sober mind will dare cross such a flooded river unless under the influence of some toxic substance,” resident Simon Kang’wony said.
It was a long the same river where eight police officers died after the lorry they were travelling in was swept away by floodwaters on May 2.
At least 10 people have drowned in the river since April.
County Commissioner Henry Wafula urged the residents to be more careful. He cautioned against crossing flooded rivers.
The administrator urged those living around the flooded water sources to move to higher grounds, saying the rains might last until December.
