Tragedy Strikes Kapkesosio as Man Drowns in Dam

Grief and shock have engulfed Kapkesosio Village in Chepalungu after a middle-aged man drowned in a local dam under unclear circumstances.

According to residents, the man appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol when he suddenly jumped into the water. Eyewitnesses said it was not immediately clear what he was protesting or attempting to do.

"At first, we thought he was joking. But in a shocking turn of events, he jumped into the dam. People started raising the alarm, and we quickly called local divers to rescue him, but unfortunately, he was found dead," said one resident, who requested anonymity.

Stanley Mutai, a disaster management officer from the Bomet County Government, confirmed the incident, saying they responded to a distress call but arrived too late to save the man.

“Our divers responded promptly, but by the time they arrived, it was too late. We managed to retrieve the body, which was taken by police to Longisa County Hospital morgue,” said Mutai.

He described the circumstances surrounding the incident as tragic and disturbing.

“It is extremely sad. The young man was reportedly under the influence and had made comments about drowning. Unfortunately, no one took him seriously at the time,” Mutai said.

He urged parents and community members to take such remarks seriously, especially when made by individuals under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

"This death could have been avoided. We must not ignore warning signs or threats, even if they seem like jokes," he added.

Mutai also raised concern about the increasing rate of drug abuse among the youth in the area, calling for urgent intervention.

“The problem of drug and substance abuse among our youth is getting out of hand. We need a serious conversation and concrete solutions to prevent more lives from being lost in such tragic circumstances,” he said.

Police in Chepalungu have launched investigations into the incident.