Residents concerned over state of Juja dam

Two university students arrived at the popular 'park and chill' dam in Juja on Sunday, cycling, planning to have a good time among themselves.

In a quest to enjoy themselves, one of them dived into the dam trying to swim before he drowned. 

His friend, in a rescue operation, dived into the dam to try and save him but drowned, and died before help could arrive. 

Gabriel Mwangi, a resident, told the Star that many visitors to the area don't know how to swim, and hence end up dying in the dam.

Mwangi opined that there is a need to increase safety measures along the dam.

According to Mwangi, four lives have been lost in the dam in only one month, which he said is a high-risk area for people with no swimming experience. 

"Most of the deaths have occurred in the area because most people come to swim and they don't know how to swim," Mwangi said.

"Many people swim here without understanding the depth of the pool, the further you go the deeper it becomes," he said.

As a security factor, Mwangi advocates for the provision of lifeguards and motorboats to help in rescue operations.

"The government should add at least four divers who would be on the lookout for those who come here but don't know how to swim," Mwangi said.

"At least one motorboat should be bought, that would make rescue operations easy and faster." 

Mwangi believes that not everyone should come to the area to swim, especially if they have no swimming experience.

Another witness recounted the Sunday incident with sadness painted on his face, saying he could only watch as the students drowned in that moment.

He advised people planning to visit the dam of the looming danger, especially if they have no experience navigating water bodies.

"If you don't know how to swim, stay far away from the dam and just observe the scenery," he said.

"You can always come to this area, take a few pictures for some memories, and go back home."

Generally, it is a cost-effective outing that favours everyone, considering you might not spend a penny, unlike other areas where you would pay some money to observe good scenery and enjoy swimming.

Park and chill, as the Juja dam is popularly known,  is famous among the youth who spend the weekend in the area swimming or enjoying the beautiful scenery as they pass their time. 

The area serves as a recreational area, fishing area and wedding venue due to the presence of a garden.