Silence and sorrow in Kisumu village after 4 brothers drown

A heavy silence hangs over Kanyakwar village in Kisumu Central subcounty, broken only by whispered conversations and subdued sobs. 

Small groups of residents sit in clusters, their faces etched with grief as the reality of a tragedy that has shaken the community slowly sinks in.

When we visited the village, neighbours moved quietly in and out of a modest homestead, offering words of comfort that barely eased the pain inside.

Four young lives were lost here, leaving behind a grieving family and a community struggling to comprehend how an ordinary Sunday evening ended in unimaginable loss. 

Inside the compound, father Felix Otieno, sat quietly, overwhelmed by grief.  

He lost four of his sons, aged between eight and 15, within hours, leaving him with only one surviving child, a two-and-a-half-year-old boy

His gaze drifted into the distance, his body heavy with exhaustion and sorrow.

 Speaking in a trembling voice, he recounted the final moments before tragedy struck. 

 “I was at home until 1pm and left briefly. I came back at 3pm,” he said.

 “When I left again at 4pm for a meeting, I told them to go and fetch water and take a bath.”

 It was a familiar routine. The children often fetched water from a nearby well or tap, a task usually handled by the older boys. 

Nothing about that afternoon suggested danger. 

But at 6pm, a phone call from his father shattered the calm. 

“I was told to rush home because something bad had happened,” Otieno said, fighting back tears. 

“When I arrived, one body had already been retrieved, and people were still searching for the others.” 

By the time the rescue efforts ended, all four bodies had been pulled out of the water-filled quarry near Kudho primary and secondary schools.

The quarry, abandoned years ago, had silently turned into a death trap. 

Otieno believes the youngest boy may have slipped into the deeper section of the quarry and started drowning. 

His brothers, acting on instinct, jumped in to rescue him. None resurfaced.

 “It is very painful,” he said softly. "I have been struggling to educate them so they could help the family in the future.” 

Now, instead of planning for their education, Otieno is appealing for help to bury them.

“I am helpless. I want to give my children a befitting send-off,” he said, calling on friends, relatives, leaders and well-wishers for support. 

He also urged the government to urgently address the danger posed by open and abandoned quarries scattered across the area.

“Our area has many open quarries. We are not safe. The government should help close and fill them,” he said. 

Celine Akinyi, the mother of three of the boys, is still trying to terms with the loss.

She had left home for work that day believing her children were safe and studying but later, she received a phone call that changed her life forever.

Her husband called her and urged her to return home urgently without giving a reason. However, she insisted on being told why, and he broke the news, "Our children have drowned".

“When I arrived, people were gathered near the quarry,” she said. “That is when I was told all my children were gone.” 

Overcome with grief, Akinyi appealed to authorities to take firm action against abandoned quarries, saying no other parent should endure such pain. 

Kondele MCA Joachim Oketch described the incident as devastating and unimaginable. 

“As a parent, I even wonder how he is coping,” he said.

“Children represent our future and losing four at once is not easy.”

Oketch said the tragedy should serve as a wake-up call to county and national governments. 

“We understand that quarrying supports livelihoods, but safety must come first. Once excavation ends, these pits should not be left open,” he said. 

Oketch said there have been previous deaths linked to open quarries in the area, many of which go unreported. He proposed fencing off exhausted quarries and clearly marking them as danger zones. 

Businessman Edward Onyango called for urgent intervention.

“Losing four children at once is devastating. We stand with the family and will offer whatever support we can,” he said.

Otieno’s mother-in-law, Caren Otieno, said residents have repeatedly raised concerns about abandoned pits without meaningful action. 

Bishop Johana Otieno, a relative and local church leader, said residents rushed to the quarry after receiving reports that children had drowned.

 At the scene, they found clothes and water containers near the edge. 

He said the community has long opposed active quarrying and abandoned pits, warning that fatal incidents have occurred before. 

One of the first responders, Fidel Otieno, said he joined the rescue effort after being alerted by a family member. 

He described the experience as emotionally draining, noting the victims were close relatives. 

Police have since launched investigations into the incident. 

Kisumu county commissioner Benson Leparmorijo said there are conflicting accounts of what led to the tragedy. 

“Some reports indicate the children went swimming, while others say they had gone to fetch water of which the family disputes,” he said. 

The children were pupils at Kanyakwar Primary School. The eldest was a 15-year-old Grade 9 learner, followed by siblings in Grades 7, 6 and an eight-year-old. 

Three were from Otieno’s first wife, while the fourth was from his second wife. 

Leparmorijo said the quarry was excavated more than 25 years ago during road construction works.

 Although it was initially fenced-off, the barrier was vandalised and the site was never rehabilitated.

“What remains are broken fence posts. Such sites should be restored once quarrying ends,” he said, adding that police are also investigating unconfirmed claims that foam was seen coming from the children’s mouths. 

Residents say the tragedy is part of a wider problem of abandoned quarries scattered across Kisumu county.

In response, Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o issued an executive directive suspending all quarrying activities across the county.

He described the deaths as devastating and preventable.

“With immediate effect, all quarrying activities, including murram and sand harvesting within Kisumu county, are suspended,” the directive read. 

Nyong’o said only operators with valid approvals, enforceable safety standards and approved land rehabilitation plans will be allowed to resume.

“This is not just a loss to one family but to the entire county,” he said, directing the formation of a multi-agency task force to audit all quarries and enforce compliance.

“We owe it to the memory of these four young boys to act decisively so that no other family endures such unbearable grief,” the governor said. 

As Kanyakwar mourns, the still waters of the abandoned quarry remain, a painful reminder of lives lost and of dangers long ignored.