The family of a police officer swept away by floods in Nairobi has asked the government to help them recover the body of their kin.
David Chesire, an officer at Kamukunji station, was carried by floods on Sunday, March 24 at Nairobi’s country bus station located within the CBD.
Chesire saved three women and a child who were trapped in one of the stalls.
The family who spoke to the media claim the government is reluctant to deploy resources to retrieve Chesire’s body after his heroic act.
Police Officer’s Father Speaks
His dad, Joseph Chesire said they are yet to retrieve his body after a week of searching.
Joseph asked the government to allocate more resources and speed up the recovery process since the officer died in the line of duty.
“My son was so kind, and he liked helping people. Even when I got here, people have welcomed me, it seems he was helping them just like he was doing back at home,” he said.
“He died while on duty, he was working, and his contributions can be seen. Let them try making us happy by searching for his body properly.”
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The family spokesperson John Kipkoros also asked the National Disaster Management to provide more resources to help trace the body.
“We are asking for help because the incident happened in a tunnel and the body was possibly carried to Nairobi River,” Kipkoros stated.
“We still request the government to add us resources so that we are able to search the body along the river and locate it for the closure of this matter.”
How the Incident Happened
Police report filed at Kamukunji Police Station revealed that Chesire was among the four officers who were patrolling the bus station on that fateful Sunday night when the incident happened.
According to the report, the officers were attempting to rescue three women and a child in stalls number three and four from the partial collapse of the slab connecting their stalls to the pedestrian walkway.
Chesire was carried by the floods when he was securing the stalls, leading to his sudden disappearance when the support slab unexpectedly caved in.
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Nairobi Police Chief Adamson Bungei revealed how they saved the four individuals before Chesire was swept away by the raging floods.
“He was among three officers that had responded to a distress call after three women and a child were trapped in rubble following the collapse of a slab connecting two stalls in the area,” Bungei said.
Three additional individuals, including bodaboda riders, were also swept away by floodwaters in the areas of Gigiri, Dagoretti, and Buruburu.
