A family in Kagio, Kirinyaga County, is in mourning after their kid drowned in the swimming pool of a local hotel on New Year's Day.

According to Mwea West sub-county Police Commander Mbatian Kantai, the body of the 13-year-old child was discovered in the pool after a two-hour search on Monday at 11 p.m.

Relatives led by Florence Muriithi said the kid had gone to the hotel for New Year's celebrations with his mother, Eunice Wairimu, and his younger sibling when the incident occurred.

PHOTO | COURTESY police line

“We arrived here at around 3 pm with my children to celebrate the New Year, and after paying the swimming pool fee, I did not know I would go home without my 13-year-old boy, who was very happy as we entered the hotel,” Wairimu said.

She stated that the boy was in Grade 7 at Rwang'ondu Primary School in Mwea West and would be entering Grade 8 this year.

"At around 6:30pm, I could not spot him as I was breastfeeding my 3-year-old baby, and that's when I informed his father and the hotel management that he was missing," he said.

Kantai stated that the deceased's body was brought to the Kerugoya County Referral Hospital mortuary to await a post-mortem.

The police chief also encouraged parents and hotel management to monitor their children in swimming pools closely.