Reports Leo Odera Omolo

RESIDENTS of Kokise village in Central Asembo, Location,Siaya County were on Thursday thrown into the mourning mood following an ugly incident in which a Nile crocodile grabbed and devoured a 14 year old Form Two student at Kokise Secondary School.

The boy had gone along the shore of Lake Victoria to have a bath when the reptile struck. The deceased, Bramwel Otieno, screamed hard while trying to free himself from the grip of the reptile in vain.

People working in the nearby farms along the lake shore heard Otieno’s screaming and rushed to the scene, but it was too late as the reptile had already overpowered the victim and dragged him into the deep waters.

This was the third incident within a short period of time where rogue hippo had killed two fishermen in similar fashion.

According to the area’s administrative chief, Mr Eric Okal, Otieno could have been saved had there been more people at the scene at the material time.

So far the deceased body had not been retrieved or recovered from the lake, but a search team, who included divers and policemen, were at the scene.

Siaya Governor Cornel Rassanga appealed to the officials of the Kenya Wildlife Services “KWS” to dispatch game rangers to the area to try to relocate the reptile or shoot it dead.

The governor, however, warned the residents to steer clear of the lake’s shorelines,specially at this time when it is raining heavily in the area. He declared the lake shore line the most dangerous area.

ENDS