Residents of Turkwel in West Pokot are living in fear and distress after a seven-year-old boy identified as Lingan Lotugh Isaiah was attacked and killed by a crocodile while bathing at the banks of River Turkwel.
Immediately after the incident, a joint search operation involving local villagers, the area chief, and officers from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) was launched before the boy’s badly mutilated body was recovered with his left leg missing.
According to eyewitnesses, the crocodile struck moments after the boy had removed his clothes and entered the water. The reptile dragged him into the deep waters as the other children screamed in terror.
“We carried out the search with the community and the area chief. The body was eventually found and is now being moved to Kapenguria County Referral Hospital for post-mortem,” said Wilson Ngoriareng, KWS County Warden.
Ngoriareng described the scene as harrowing, noting that the child was unaware of the river’s swelling danger zones.
“The boy’s leg was cut off and his body is badly mauled,” he said. “As KWS, we are working on conservation education to reduce human-wildlife conflict. We urge parents and children to be extremely cautious around such rivers.”
The deceased’s father, Lolingacholia Longiriak Akwangan, said he was at the gold pits in Kambi Karaya when he received the devastating news.
“I wasn’t there to protect him. My heart is broken,” he said, overwhelmed with grief.
His mother, Chepokugho Longan, was inconsolable at the scene. The family lives in Kesot sub-location, a community heavily reliant on the river for domestic use due to lack of piped water.
The boy was a Grade One pupil at Tipet Primary School. His headteacher, Johnstone Lochiwo, confirmed that he had not reported to school that day.
“He was with a group of pupils when the incident happened. It’s so devastating to lose such a young soul,” said Lochiwo. “He was full of life and always cheerful.”
River Turkwel has long been known for its crocodile population, which poses a threat to both people and livestock. Locals often have no choice but to use the dangerous river due to the lack of safe, accessible water sources.
Residents are now calling on the government and wildlife authorities to act swiftly before another life is lost.
