Felix Otieno narrating to the media what transpired to his kids at Kanyakwar village in Kisumu Central sub-county. Faith Matete Felix Otieno speaking to relatives in his home in Kanyakwar village in Kisumu Central sub-county. Faith Matete A heavy silence hangs over Kanyakwar village in Kisumu Central sub-county following death of four children from the same house. Faith Matete
A heavy silence hangs over Kanyakwar village in Kisumu Central sub-county.
Small groups of residents sit quietly in clusters, speaking in hushed tones as the weight of a tragedy that has shaken the community slowly sinks in. Grief is etched on every face.
When we visited the village, neighbours moved in and out of a modest homestead where four young lives were cut short, offering words of comfort that barely eased the pain.
Inside the compound, the father of the deceased boys, Felix Otieno, sat quietly, overwhelmed by loss.
His voice trembled as he recounted the moments before the tragedy that claimed all his four sons, aged between eight and 15. He’s been left with only one child, a two-and-a-half-year-old boy.
“I was at home until around 1pm and came back. When I left again at about 4pm, I told them to go and fetch water and then take a bath,” Otieno said, struggling to hold back tears.
He explained that the children usually fetch water from a nearby well or a water tap, a task mostly done by the older boys.
At around 6pm, a phone call from his father shattered what had been an ordinary Sunday.
“I was told to rush home because something bad had happened. When I arrived, one body had already been retrieved, and the search for the others was still ongoing,” he said.
By the time the search ended, all four boys had been pulled from a water-filled quarry located near Kudho Primary and Secondary schools.
According to Otieno, the youngest boy may have slipped into the deeper section of the quarry and started drowning.
His brothers are believed to have jumped in to rescue him, only to lose their lives in the process.
“It is very painful. I have been struggling to educate them so that they could help the family in the future,” he said.
The bereaved father has appealed to friends, relatives, well-wishers, and leaders for assistance to help him bury his children.
“I am helpless. I want to give my children a befitting send-off,” he said.
Otieno also called on the government to urgently address the danger posed by open and abandoned quarries in the area, saying residents live in constant fear.
“Our area has many open quarries. We are not safe. The government should help close and fill them,” he said.
Several leaders visited the home to console the family.
Kondele Ward MCA Joachim Oketch described the incident as devastating, saying losing four children at once is unimaginable.
“As a parent, I even wonder how he is coping with this situation. Children represent our future, and losing four at a go is not easy,” Oketch said.
He said the tragedy should serve as a wake-up call to both the county and national governments.
“We understand that some of these quarries support economic activities for locals. But there must be proper safety measures. After digging, these quarries should not be left open the way they are,” he said.
Oketch noted that there have been previous deaths linked to open quarries in the area, many of which go unreported.
“This is an eye-opener to the county, the national government, and even residents. Something must be done,” he said.
He proposed that all quarries be fenced off and clearly marked as dangerous areas once excavation ends, to prevent children from accessing them.
“It is unfortunate that we are here today, having lost four children in something that could have been prevented. As the MCA, I am not happy,” he added.
Businessman Edward Onyango, who also condoled with the family, called for urgent intervention by leaders and government agencies to address the problem of open quarries.
“Losing four children at once is devastating and very painful. We stand with the family during this difficult time and will offer whatever support we can,” Onyango said.