A nine-year-old boy from Kanyenya-ini Kangema drowned on Monday evening after he accidentally slipped into river Mathioya.

Kelvin Muchiri, a pupil at Holy Rosary primary, is said to have been in the company of a couple of his friends when the incident happened.

The boys were crossing the bridge connecting Rwathia and Kenyenya-ini wards when the deceased fell into the swollen river.

Efforts to rescue him were futile and his body was retrieved hours later few kilometers from where he had fallen.

The residents now want guardrails put along the bridge to avert such accidents.

“If there were guardrails the boy would not have fallen into the river” said Peter Mwangi one of the residents.

He said this should serve as a wake up call for the government to ensure all the bridges in the area are properly constructed.

“We have several bridges in the area, but none of them has guard rails  and this is a danger in waiting,” he added.

Area assistant commissioner urged parents to be extra careful with their children and not allow them go near the rivers.

Elsewhere several roads in Gatanga and Kigumo have been made impassable as their shoulders caved in with huge chunks of soil blocking them following heavy rains.

The affected roads include Mununga -Kinyona road and Gatanga-Karangi-Gatakaini roads.

Motorists have been urged to exercise caution and seek alternative routes before the soil is cleared.