Residents of Makueni County are reeling from shock after three people lost their lives in separate crocodile attacks along River Athi within a single day.

According to reports, one person was attacked in Kalawa while two others were mauled in Ivinga Nzia, Mavindini Ward, on Saturday evening. 

The attacks have reignited fears among residents who depend on the river for water and other daily needs.

The tragedy comes barely days after a family in Kibwezi was left in anguish when their 13-year-old son was dragged away by a crocodile while fetching water at Kathyaka.

Despite frantic search efforts, his body remains unrecovered.

Kenya Red Cross officials in Makueni confirmed that recovery operations for the latest victims began on Sunday September 7, 2025 in the morning.

They further revealed that since last year, 27 crocodile attacks have been reported along River Athi, with 14 of them proving fatal.

The situation has left many families devastated, especially those who never get to recover the remains of their loved ones.

In such cases, tradition compels them to bury banana logs in place of bodies, a symbolic ritual meant to accord the departed a semblance of a normal burial.

With the rising toll, residents are calling on authorities to step in with urgent interventions, including fencing off dangerous sections of the river and providing safer water sources to protect communities from further tragedy.