MAKUENI – Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. met with families grieving the loss of their relatives following a tragic drowning accident at the Muatineni River, where individuals attempted to cross the river by truck. The meeting took place at Sultan Hamud Sub-County Hospital on Monday.
According to Kenya News Agency, the accident, which resulted in ten deaths, fourteen rescues, and four individuals still missing, might have been prevented. “The tragedy could have been avoided with a properly constructed bridge and had people waited for the water level to subside,” he stated during a press briefing. Search efforts continue as a multi-agency team of emergency officers is actively looking for those still unaccounted for downstream.
In response to the incident, Governor Mutula announced that the county government has decided to waive the postmortem fees for the deceased and will assist the families financially by covering the costs of coffins to alleviate the burden of burial expenses. He also mentioned plans to enhance local safety measures. “The county will train more local volunteers on safety and rescue to prevent further loss of life in such incidents,” he added.