Kitui County Governor Charity Ngilu has promised to recognize local divers who managed to save lives and retrieve bodies in last week’s bus tragedy at Enziu River in Mwingi.
Speaking on Wednesday during a requiem mass held at St Joseph Seminary, Mwingi town for the 33 people who lost their lives, Ngilu promised residents that she would ensure the men get proper training and also secure employment opportunities.
“Mimi mwenyewe na kama serikali ya Kaunti tutawarecognize na tuwaweke kwa kazi na tuendelee kuwatrain, wawe na higher skills ndio waendelee na kazi hii,” she added.
Ngilu further noted that the county would ensure all the rescuers are contacted and recognized for their skills and humanitarian acts of saving lives.
“I want to say personally as the leader of the region, all those involved, we will go to the villages and reach out to them,” the Governor said.
“I have requested for all their names and they are about 30 men and we will follow up with them,” Ngilu added.
She also identified a few for their unique abilities and outstanding efforts.
“One of them called ‘Vampire’, I don’t know why but he retrieved so many bodies, even more than what the other teams were doing and you have also seen another here who also saved lives,” Ngilu stated.
She urged Kenyans to keep on praying for the families who lost their lives and those recuperating in hospitals.
On Tuesday, Ngilu stated that the national government and the Kitui County Government will support all the families of those killed in the Enziu River tragedy on Saturday.
The Saturday accident claimed 33 lives, among them four children, after the school bus they were travelling in plunged into Enziu River on their way to a wedding ceremony in Nuu.
The driver was attempting to cross a flooded bridge but was overpowered by the waters and tripped over with all the passengers on board
