Nairobi News

NewsWhat's Hot

Prayers have failed, we want rituals to recover chopper crash bodies – residents


Traditional rituals have been suggested in a desperate bid to retrieve bodies of three people who were aboard the ill-fated helicopter that crashed into Lake Nakuru on October 21.

The bodies of the captain, Mr Apollo Malowa and one other victim Mr Anthony Kipyegon, were recovered and buried.

Search teams have on a daily basis scoured the lake’s murky waters for the missing bodies of Mr Sam Gitau and Mr John Mapozi, who were members of Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika’s communication team, and Ms Veronicah Muthoni.

The rituals suggestion was made as some of the divers withdrew from the search.

“Now that the more than 40 professional divers have not been able to find the bodies for the past two weeks, we need to employ traditional methods in the search,” Mr John Njuguna suggested in a social media discussion on the matter.

ELDERS CONDUCT RITUALS

He was supported by a number of residents and local leaders, who equally suggested that elders should conduct rituals to help with the search.

Christians held prayers on the shores of the lake late last month, seeking divine intervention in the recovery.

Yesterday, families of the victims asked the government to speed up the search, saying it had drained them emotionally and financially as they camp at the park.

“The government needs to explain why it is difficult to retrieve the bodies and the chopper in a 54 square kilometre lake whose deepest point is only 8 metres,” said Mr Robert Ngugi, a family member to one of the victims.

Mr William Ngugi, the father of Mr Gitau, said the recovery of some clothes had rekindled their hope.

The National Disaster Operation Centre desk officer Jonathan Kertich said the search had been intensified and officials were working to ensure that the team has everything they require.