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- His nephew fell into a 2-million-litre water tank at a school and tragically drowned
- The school administration's negligence led to the malfunction of the water tank and the tragic incident
- The fire and rescue team were called an hour later to retrieve the boy's body
In a heart-wrenching twist of fate, Gregory Murithi, a Royal Media Services reporter, experienced a devastating personal loss while on duty.
Murithi was called to cover an incident at Rwanyange Primary and Junior Secondary School, only to discover that the victim was his own nephew.
The incident
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Murithi received an urgent call from his brother about a tragic accident at a nearby school.
"At Rwanyange Primary and Junior Secondary School, there is a big concrete tank that accommodates 2 million litres of water.
"Yesterday, my brother, while at a nearby market near the school, heard there is a child who has fallen in the water tank and called me," Murithi shared. "Bro, I heard a child has fallen into the water tank here at Rwanyange. Come quickly to cover the news. I'll tell you more when you get here," Murithi's brother had urged.
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Gregory Murithi's nephew
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Just minutes later, the situation took a horrifying turn. Murithi's brother called again, this time with a trembling voice.
"Bro, I see Tiffa's clothes and glasses at the bottom of the tank," he said, breathing heavily before hanging up.
Unsafe practices lead to tragedy
The 2-million-litre water tank at the school had been in disrepair for some time. The outlet used by students to fetch water had malfunctioned.
Instead of fixing the problem, the school administration resorted to sending pupils into the tank through a small opening to fetch water manually.
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Citizen TV reporter Gregory Murithi
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According to witnesses, Murithi’s nephew, Evans, was tasked with fetching water. He reportedly slipped and fell into the tank, leading to his tragic and untimely death. Fellow students screamed for help, but their calls went unanswered for crucial minutes.
"The school didn't help my brother's son, and he drowned to his painful death," Murithi lamented. The fire and rescue team were only called an hour later to retrieve Evans' body.
A devastating loss
Gregory Murithi is now grappling with the profound loss of his nephew, a boy full of life and potential.
"You left home yesterday morning so happy and jovial as usual to school to gain education and chase poverty.
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Citizen TV reporter Gregory Murithi
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"But right now, it's so painful that today I went to see if you were properly preserved in a mortuary fridge. Rwanyange JSS, you have taken away a life that meant a lot to me, to my family," he expressed with deep sorrow.