The Uasin Gishu County brigade team, on Friday, March 14, 2025, retrieved the body of a middle-aged man from a borehole at home in Ilula village located a few kilometres from Eldoret City.
The Uasin Gishu County Chief Fire Officer, David Sitati, said the middle-aged man had been hired to clean the borehole and died as a result of suffocation because of lack of oxygen in the borehole. This is the fourth case of bodies being retrieved in boreholes within the area in the past two months.
“It’s dangerous to enter any borehole, especially when temperatures are hot. We urge homeowners and people with boreholes to be cautious and not to hire anyone to clean the boreholes when temperatures are hot,” Sitati advised.
The County Chief Fire Officer said his team had a difficult time at the scene trying to calm the angry residents who accused the home owner of the incident and wanted to punish him and at the same time working to retrieve the body.
He further urged residents to ensure their boreholes are properly covered and protected.
The body, which is yet to be identified, was taken by the police officers to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary.
