Three drown in dam while harvesting sand in Shianda, Kakamega

Tragedy struck a family in Kakamega after three people drowned in a dam while harvesting sand in Shianda area.

The victims include a mother, her 15-year-old daughter, and a relative who tried to rescue them.

According to the police, the incident happened on Tuesday at about 2 pm in Lusheya Sublocation.

 It was established that a woman identified as Emily Mutuba, 40, with her 15-year-old daughter, had ventured into the banks of a dam to harvest sand.

While at the scene, the grade seven pupil at Shibinga Primary School slid and drowned in the dam, Western regional police commander Issa Mohamud said.

The mother jumped therein while screaming for help in an effort to rescue her.

According to police, their relative, Michael Ombango, 47, joined and jumped into the water.

They all drowned because they did not know how to swim, police said.

The bodies were later retrieved and taken to a local mortuary pending autopsy and other investigations.

Authorities later visited the scene and announced a ban on harvesting of the sand.

Meanwhile, two suspects were arrested in connection with the drowning of a fisherman in the deep sea at the Indian Ocean.

Witnesses told police the victim identified as Ali Rashid was hit by a piece of mangrove and slid into the deep sea in an argument with fellow fishermen in Takaungu area.

Other fishermen turned violent following the incident and burnt two boats, police said.

Police rushed to the scene to calm the situation as the group demanded action on the suspects.

The victim was not immediately retrieved from the waters and rescue teams went to the scene on Wednesday morning.

Police said they are investigating the saga amid tension in the area.

And a suspect was lynched while four others were rescued by police in an incident in Bahati, Nakuru County.

The suspects were accused of being mobile phone snatchers.

The body was moved to the mortuary while the injured were taken to the local hospital amid investigations.

Cases of mob lynching have been on the rise amid calls on the public to surrender suspects to authorities for processing.