A holiday in Mombasa turned into heartbreak for a Nairobi family when two children drowned in a swimming pool at an apartment complex in Nyali.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, just hours after the family had arrived in the coastal city for their vacation. The victims, aged 13 and 9, were playing in the pool with other children when tragedy struck.
According to initial accounts, the father had stepped out with three of his children to buy lunch, leaving the rest of the family at the premises. While away, he received a distress call from his wife, informing him that the two girls had drowned.
The children were rushed to Gertrude’s Hospital in Mombasa but were pronounced dead on arrival. They were laid to rest the following day at a local cemetery in Kikowani.
Family members have blamed the apartment’s management for negligence, claiming there was no lifeguard or security personnel to supervise the pool or warn children about its depth. They urged the county government to carry out immediate inspections of swimming facilities to prevent further tragedies.
Local authorities have confirmed that investigations are underway, with calls for strict enforcement of safety regulations. Officials have emphasized the need for all swimming pools to have lifeguards on duty and clear warning signs to ensure public safety.
This drowning is the latest in a worrying trend of preventable accidents involving children.
In a separate incident on the same day, a family living along the Uasin Gishu–Baringo border lost two young children, aged one and three, in a house fire. The blaze broke out when a candle, left burning during a power outage, ignited the wooden structure. The mother had reportedly gone to the shops, leaving the children alone. The victims were rushed to Timboroa Hospital but were declared dead on arrival. Their bodies are now at the Eldama Ravine morgue.
Elsewhere, in Rarieda, Siaya County, a 23-year-old stone crusher lost his life in a workplace accident. While operating machinery alone, his clothing became entangled in the machine’s shaft, pulling him in. The body was taken to a local mortuary for postmortem examination.
These incidents have sparked renewed calls for heightened safety awareness, better supervision of children, and stricter adherence to safety protocols in public spaces and workplaces across the country.
