Two members of the same family tragically lost their lives after being electrocuted by live Kenya Power wires in Bowa village, Kwale County. The victims, Mwaka Dziwe Mwachande, aged 34, and her three-month-old son, Juma Rashid, were electrocuted while on their way to purchase goods from a nearby shop. The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety and maintenance of power infrastructure in the area.
Kwale County Police Commander Joseph Nthenge confirmed the incident, explaining that the tragedy occurred after an electric post collapsed and broke into two, leaving live wires exposed and posing a significant hazard to pedestrians. According to Nthenge, the husband of the deceased recounted arriving home from work to find a large crowd gathered around the scene, where he discovered his wife and son lying lifeless on the ground. The police have since launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Eyewitness Mwanahamisi Tosha revealed that the power cables had been precariously hanging across the road for the past two weeks. Despite repeated attempts by local residents to alert Kenya Power officials at the Kwale office about the dangerous situation, no action was taken to rectify the issue. "We reached out to Kenya Power officials and complained about the hanging electric cables, but they failed to respond," Tosha lamented, expressing fear that more such incidents could occur if the power company does not address the problem of dangling wires and improve its service delivery.
This tragic incident comes just two days after local businessmen in Kwale town criticized Kenya Power for what they described as poor service delivery, which has left them without a reliable supply of electricity. The lack of response and maintenance by the power company has become a growing concern among residents, who are demanding more accountability and prompt action to prevent further tragedies.
The bodies of Mwaka Dziwe Mwachande and her son Juma Rashid have been moved to Kwale Hospital mortuary, where they await postmortem examinations. The community mourns the loss of the young mother and her infant son, as calls for improved safety measures and infrastructure maintenance by Kenya Power grow louder.
