Kenyans Crossing Flooded Rivers To Be Arrested & Prosecuted For Attempted Suicide

Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki has announced that the government will arrest and prosecute Kenyans found to be crossing flooded rivers intentionally and to be charged with attempted suicide. 

In a statement on Monday, April 29, Kindiki noted that the government is deeply concerned by the loss of life and destruction of public and private property resulting from the ongoing floods. 

He lamented reports of continued risky behaviour by motorists and pedestrians and casual treatment by members of the public of weather forecasts and voluntary evacuation advisories. 

Further, he called out unscrupulous persons benefiting from persons in distress during storms for endangering the public by constructing and operating rudimentary canoes or boats and transporting stranded passengers for money. 

A screengrab of rescue efforts for a boat that capsized in Tana River County on April 28, 2024. /SETH OLALE

"To mitigate further loss of life, County Security and Intelligence Committees (CSICs) across the Country are directed to immediately inspect all public and private dams and water reservoirs in their jurisdictions within 24 Hours effective at 1400 Hours today and recommend cases where compulsory evacuation and temporary resettlement orders are to issue.  

"Deploy enforcement teams at urban and rural road spots prone to stormwater flooding and without bridges or where the water has breached the bridge to prevent motorists or pedestrians from dangerous crossovers and to arrest and prosecute offenders for attempted suicide and/or attempted murder as the facts of the case may be," the CS announced.

He also directed the CSICs to prevent the transportation of passengers across flooded rivers or storm water by unsafe canoes or boats and arrest inexperienced and unscrupulous persons taking advantage of the prevailing situation to cash in on persons in distress.

"The Government is coordinating all its relevant agencies and partners to prevent further loss of lives and property, and to support all those who have been affected by the ongoing torrential rains," he added.

The CS's statement came in response to a boat tragedy which occurred on Sunday, April 28 at the Kona Punda area within Madogo in Tana River County involving a boat carrying 45 people which capsized.

Three bodies were retrieved following the tragic incident which occurred at around 6:30 pm on Sunday making it hard for the rescue team to operate since it was getting dark and only managed to rescue 22 people.

The two bodies were part of the 23 people missing with rescue teams from the Kenya Red Cross, Garissa and Tana River counties already at the tragedy site.