Tragedy struck in Tharaka Nithi county when a 19-year-old university student drowned while swimming in the Kathita River. The deceased, identified as Brian Kibet, a first-year student at Tharaka University, lost his life on Saturday, September 19, 2026. According to police, Kibet and his three friends had gone to the river to swim when he dived into the water and drowned.
Local divers assisted in retrieving Kibet's body from the river. Police said the body had no visible injuries. The scene was documented by investigators before the body was taken to Marimanti Level 4 Hospital mortuary, where it was preserved pending a postmortem examination. The incident left the student community devastated as authorities alerted the deceased's parents.
In a separate incident, a 16-year-old Grade 8 pupil drowned in the Indian Ocean after being overwhelmed by strong waves while swimming with friends in Watamu, Kilifi county. The deceased, identified as Vincent Katana Karisa, a pupil at Kanani Primary School, was found dead along the shoreline in the Kanani area on September 20, 2026.
According to police, Katana had left his home at about 10am in the company of his friends and later went to the ocean. He was reportedly swept away after being overwhelmed by strong waves while in the water. Police officers responded after the body was spotted along the Indian Ocean shoreline.
The scene was photographed and documented by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Watamu and Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) officers from Malindi. The body was later removed and taken to the Malindi General Hospital mortuary, where it was preserved pending a postmortem examination. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the drowning.
In another incident, police in Mombasa are investigating the death of an unidentified man whose body was found floating in a pond near FAW-Miritini in Jomvu Subcounty. The body, believed to be that of a man aged about 30, was discovered on September 19, 2026. Police visited the scene and recovered the body from the pond.
Preliminary observations indicated that the man may have drowned the previous night, as the body had not yet started decomposing. The deceased was not immediately identified. Police recovered a small mobile phone from the body and handed it over to the DCI Crime Scene Investigation team for analysis to help establish his identity.
Key points
- A 19-year-old university student drowned while swimming in the Kathita River in Tharaka South, Tharaka Nithi county on September 19.
- Two other separate drowning incidents occurred in Kilifi county and Mombasa.
- The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the drownings.
