Hero diver from Bomet ends week-long search for missing Cheploch Gorge diver
By Wycliffe Kipsang, March 16, 2026The mystery surrounding the missing body of a diver who drowned in the Kerio River at the border of Baringo and Elgeyo Marakwet counties a week ago has come to an end, thanks to one man.
Rodgers Kiplimo, 25, one of the divers at Cheploch Gorge along the border of Elgeyo Marakwet and Baringo counties, tragically drowned while diving in the gorge where he used to earn his livelihood by entertaining tourists.
Efforts to retrieve his body had proved futile for a week, thanks to heavy rains pounding the region, which had made the river swell immensely.
Kiplimo’s body had been missing in the river, and his fellow divers, who know the river very well, could not retrieve it. They tried and tried, but they did not succeed.
But everything changed when Ng’otwa Gideon Rotich, a renowned diver from Bomet County, arrived.
Rotich is a diver, not formally trained but very talented. His prowess in diving earned him a job with the Bomet County Government in the Disaster Management Department.
Divers from Baringo and Elgeyo Marakwet, who are also among the best in the region, decided to reach out to Rotich and his team for help after being advised by some members of the public.
Rotich embarked on the body retrieval mission on Saturday morning, March 14, 2026, and in only five minutes, he retrieved the body, bringing closure to the family and friends.
“I believe this is a gift from God which has enabled me to help humanity in such circumstances,” a soft-spoken Rotich told this writer after the daring mission in a crocodile-infested river which runs across the vast Kerio Valley.
Relatives described Kiplimo as a kind, humble, and very jovial person who brought light to everyone around him.
“He had a warm spirit and a willingness to help others, and that is how many of us will always remember him. Losing him in such a sudden and painful way has left a deep void in our family and community,” said Jelagat Chelimo, a cousin of the deceased.
Cheploch Gorge has become a major tourist attraction in the North Rift region, with many motorists plying the Iten-Kabarnet road usually making a stopover to have a glimpse at daring divers who make a living by leaping into the 70-metre-deep gorge.
However, security concerns are now being raised after Kiplimo drowned at the famous gorge following a heavy downpour.
Diving suspended
Diving activities at the gorge have since been suspended following the tragedy.
According to Baringo County Commissioner Sankolo Kutwa, the move was taken to safeguard the lives of other divers who may intend to continue with the activity.
“Following the heavy rains being experienced in the region, the river has swollen immensely and will pose a danger to those who will continue to engage in diving activities,” the administrator who toured the area with other security personnel said.
Protests
On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, irate residents blocked the busy Iten-Kabarnet road, demanding action from the Baringo and Elgeyo Marakwet county governments to recover Kiplimo’s body.
The protest disrupted transport along the key route connecting Elgeyo Marakwet and Baringo counties, as residents insisted that more resources be deployed to retrieve the body.
According to witnesses and members of the local diving fraternity, Kiplimo entered the water on the morning of March 7, a day marked by heavy rainfall that had caused water levels in the Kerio River to rise significantly.
Unlike the controlled environments of professional aquatics centres, the Cheploch Gorge offers no such security.
The river, which acts as a boundary between Baringo and Elgeyo Marakwet counties, is notorious for its shifting geology and the strength of its currents, particularly during the wet season.