Three workers lost their lives in a tragic accident at Makindu Boys High School in Makueni County after reportedly becoming trapped inside a septic tank while carrying out sewage disposal work.
According to preliminary reports, the three had been contracted to empty the school’s septic system when the incident occurred.
The workers are believed to have entered the tank but were overcome by a lack of oxygen within the confined space, causing them to lose consciousness.
3 workers die in septic tank tragedy at Makindu Boys High School. Photo: Courtesy.
Emergency response teams from the Makueni County Government and the Kenya Red Cross were dispatched to the scene shortly after the incident was reported.
Rescue and recovery efforts were launched immediately, with emergency personnel successfully retrieving all three bodies from the septic tank.
Authorities have since opened investigations to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the accident and whether safety protocols were followed during the operation.
The incident has renewed concerns over occupational safety in high-risk environments, particularly during maintenance work involving confined spaces such as septic tanks and sewage systems.
The tragedy comes months after another fatal accident at Queen of Angels School in Turbo, Uasin Gishu County, where three pupils died after a pit latrine collapsed.
The pupils were trapped when the structure gave way and were later retrieved from the debris by rescuers. Their bodies were subsequently moved to a mortuary.
Local leaders indicated that prolonged heavy rainfall in the area may have weakened the latrine’s structure, contributing to the collapse. Questions were also raised about the age and maintenance condition of the facility.
The incident was treated as an accident, with leaders and residents expressing condolences to the affected families and the school community as investigations into the collapse continued.
