Lucas Otieno Ondijo, a 45-year-old livestock farmer, and his herd of animals were swept away by the raging waters of River Yala after a footbridge collapsed following a heavy downpour at Yala Swamp. Opil Rabut, chief of the North Yimbo location, stressed the urgency of recovering Ondijo’s body.
The farmer was crossing the footbridge with the animals at around 9pm when the structure gave way. “We had warned farmers to avoid the swamp during this rainy period, but many of them depend on it for grazing,” said Walter Nyang’ira, Chairman of Yala Wetland Farmers. Nyang’ira explained that Ondijo and his colleagues were bringing their animals from the flooding swamp when the tragedy occurred.
“In the middle of the footbridge, it collapsed, and the fast-moving waters swept him and the animals away. It was too dark, and no one could save him,” he added. Has Siaya farmer’s body been retrieved? The Chief of the North Yimbo location, Opil Rabut, confirmed the incident, highlighting the urgency of recovering Ondijo’s body and the animals’ carcasses. “Search efforts are ongoing.
This bridge was the only connection between Alego and Yimbo, and now the entire area is cut off,” he said. More than 1,000 animals are currently stranded in the swamp, leaving farmers worried about their safety. “This tragedy highlights the dire need for better infrastructure in the area,” said a local farmer.
by Didacus Malowa
