A 35-year-old man is fighting for his life at Kerugoya County Referral Hospital in Kirinyaga after being attacked by a hippopotamus on Saturday night near River Thiba.
According to family members led by his mother, Esther Wanjiru, the victim, Harrison Muchai, was heading home from Gakindu Shopping Centre when the attack occurred at around 8 p.m.
Muchai, a casual worker, was returning from the Mbeere side of the center after purchasing milk and bread.
Ruben Gacimu, a local resident, recounted receiving a call from Michael Mutua informing him of the incident and the family’s urgent need for transport to the hospital.
“He had been badly bitten on the shoulders and buttocks by the hippopotamus. It is only by God’s mercy that he is still talking,” Mutua said.
Muchai sustained serious injuries and was initially rushed to Kimbimbi Sub-County Hospital before being transferred to Kerugoya County Referral Hospital at approximately 10 p.m.
“Hippos come out at night, and you are supposed to lie down when you see one,” Gacimu advised.
Residents noted that this is the second such incident in recent weeks.
On March 3, 52-year-old Simon Githaka Gichuki was brutally attacked by a hippopotamus at Gakungu Bridge on the Thiba River while walking home from Ngurubani town.
Locals added that hippo attacks along River Thiba have become increasingly rampant.
