The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) have pulled out the body of a man who drowned in Chepkorio Dam, Uasin Gishu, after nearly a week of searching.
The man, said to be middle-aged, went missing in the deep waters near the Eldoret–Nakuru highway, forcing a large multi-agency rescue effort.
Local divers were the first to try, but the dam’s depth estimated at close to 80 feet made the mission too difficult.
KDF then stepped in, deploying their Navy’s Clearance Diving Unit together with troops from the 9th Battalion Kenya Rifles.
The military used advanced closed-circuit rebreather gear, the kind normally seen in offshore oil and gas operations, to reach deeper and stay longer underwater.
After days of combing through the murky dam, the divers finally found and retrieved the body on Saturday, September 13.
KDF has not yet released the man’s identity, saying the remains will first go through forensic checks before the family is notified.
It’s not the first time the military has been called in for civilian rescue and disaster work.
In May, they demolished a collapsing building in Mombasa, and in Siaya they’ve been helping with stadium and hospital projects.
President William Ruto has also ordered KDF to take charge of building 70 Level Four hospitals across the country.