Kisumu Governor Suspends All Quarrying After Four Children Drown in Abandoned Pit

Kisumu County is in shock after four siblings drowned at an abandoned quarry in Kudho, Kisumu Central. The tragedy prompted Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o to immediately suspend all quarrying activities, including sand and murram harvesting, across the county. Only operations with valid permits, enforceable safety measures, and approved rehabilitation plans will be allowed to resume.

In a heartfelt statement, Nyong’o expressed his grief for the family and community. “The loss of these children has diminished all of us. Their ambitions and potential were cut short far too soon,” he said. The governor stressed that abandoned quarries in residential areas are intolerable. “No mining or quarrying activity shall be permitted to operate without a clearly approved, time-bound rehabilitation and restoration plan to ensure that excavated sites do not remain hazardous to the public,” Nyong’o added.

He directed the County Department of Environment, NEMA, and the county commissioner’s office to form a joint task force. The team will audit all quarries, check compliance, and take legal action against anyone operating illegally or ignoring safety and environmental rules. “The well-being of children and the wider public must never be compromised by carelessness or failure to follow the law,” Nyong’o emphasized.

The tragedy occurred on Sunday, February 8, when the father of the boys, Felix Okoth, left them at home while attending a merry-go-round in Obunga. He had asked them to fetch water and bathe. Hours later, he received a distressing call that his sons, aged 15, 13, 10, and eight, had drowned while trying to rescue one another in the water-filled quarry. Okoth revealed that “at least five other people have previously died at the same quarry,” highlighting the ongoing dangers.

Now left with only his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Felix is seeking support to bury his sons. The community is urged to join the county in mourning and push for stricter enforcement of quarry safety. Governor Nyong’o’s decisive action aims to prevent future tragedies and ensure accountability in Kisumu’s mining sector.