Three days after going missing, a father and his son were discovered dead on Saturday at Gitaru Dam in Embu County.
Their bodies were found floating in the dam on Saturday. Mzee Julius Mwaniki, 65, and his son Stephen Muriithi, 40, both from Thagana village in Mbeere, went missing on Wednesday.
Herders grazing close to the dam discovered the decaying bodies before warning the police, who then retrieved them and transported them to the mortuary at the Embu Referral Hospital.
The victims did not return home in the evening after leaving their home on Wednesday morning to look for their lost livestock in neighboring Machakos County.
It is believed that the two drowned when the boat they were using to cross the dam capsized after being struck by a hippo.
“The victims were most likely killed by a hippo,” said Mr Sarafino Ndaru.
Ms Inviolata Lumati, the police chief of Mbeere South Sub-County, said investigations had been launched to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the duo’s deaths.
Cases of mysterious deaths are on the rise in Embu County, causing residents to be concerned.
Over the last two months, more than ten people have been discovered dead in the area.
In a suspected arson attack, seven members of the same family were found dead inside their house in Ngimari village.
Detectives are still investigating the cause of the fire, which destroyed property worth thousands of shillings.
Reference: Crime Statistics
