The lifeless body of an 11-year-old schoolboy, who fell victim to a crocodile attack in Homa Bay, has been discovered inside the stomach of the reptile, concluding a harrowing two-day search.
The young victim, a student at Omboo Nazarene Academy, had gone to the river’s edge on Wednesday along with other children to fetch water when the vicious crocodile struck.
Janet Auma, the grieving mother of the deceased boy, recounted the horrifying moment: “I was at home when the children ran back screaming that my son had been attacked by a crocodile, and we rushed back to the river and found it still holding him and struggling to swallow. I saw my son trapped between the jaws of the crocodile, and we tried to scare it away with rocks, but it quickly retreated into the river with my son.”
After an extensive two-day search conducted by local residents and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) personnel, the crocodile was located on Friday and subsequently shot dead. This action allowed for the retrieval of the boy’s remains, bringing some closure to the heart-wrenching ordeal for his family.
Jackson Kibor, the KWS Warden in Homa Bay, who led the search for the reptile, emphasized the importance of vigilance around the crocodile-infested river.
He explained that neutralizing the reptile was necessary to recover the boy’s remains from its stomach and stressed the need for ongoing awareness efforts on vigilance around the river, as this was the second such incident in the past two years.
Boaz Kiri, the area MCA representing North Kabuoch, called upon the county government to assist residents in accessing clean water by refurbishing a deteriorated water project that once served the community.
He said that finding alternative water sources for the people would help reduce human-wildlife conflicts and reliance on river water.
The recovered remains of the young schoolboy were transported to the Homa Bay County Referral Hospital mortuary, marking the end of a tragic episode that underscores the dangers posed by wildlife in the area.
