Four days after a brave rescue attempt turned tragic, the body of Constable David Chesire, who drowned while saving a family in Nairobi’s Kamukunji area, remains unfound, along with his AK47 rifle loaded with 30 bullets.
Despite extensive efforts by rescue teams, including the use of excavators to scour the area where he was last seen, Chesire’s body has not been located. The search has extended downstream to a nearby tunnel, yielding no results.
Chesire, who was the sole son in his family, had been working tirelessly with the rescue team since Tuesday when the incident occurred.
Meanwhile, amidst ongoing search operations, authorities have recovered 11 bodies from various locations across the city in the aftermath of the heavy rains that swept through on Sunday night and Monday morning.
Nairobi Regional Police Commander, Adamson Bungei, confirmed the grim discoveries, emphasizing the potential for the death toll to rise as more reports of missing individuals emerge.
Efforts to locate Chesire’s body continue unabated, with emergency teams deployed throughout the affected areas. Bungei expressed determination to leave no stone unturned in the quest to bring closure to Chesire’s family.
The tragic incident unfolded as Chesire and his colleagues responded to a distress call, successfully rescuing trapped occupants. However, tragedy struck as Chesire inadvertently stepped into an open manhole, succumbing to the raging floodwaters.
It is suspected that Chesire was swept away downstream through the sewage system, compounding the challenges of the search efforts.
In response to the widespread devastation caused by the flooding, emergency services have been mobilized to provide assistance to affected communities. The Kenya Red Cross has identified approximately 1,200 households impacted, with Mukuru Kwa Njenga and Mukuru Kwa Reuben among the hardest-hit areas.
In Kayole, 52 households were evacuated to safety after their homes were inundated by floodwaters, with temporary shelter provided at the Kayole-Soweto Social Hall.
As the search for Constable Chesire continues, the tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by the seasonal rains and the resilience of those on the front lines of emergency response.
