“I have a strong feeling there is something they are hiding about how my son died. I just want justice – to know what happened to my son so I can bury him and let him rest in peace. I can’t bury him like a nobody, without closure.”
KISUMU, Sept 2026 – As the sun shone brightly on Monday afternoon, 27th September 2026, in the lakeside city of Kisumu, Augustine Odongo and his seven-year-old son Bradley Otieno were in a buoyant mood.
To both, the day ahead looked promising as he helped his son prepare for his weekly favourite sport – swimming. With all the swimming gear packed, they bade farewell to their family.
Augustine drove safely to one of the hotels tucked in the leafy suburbs of Milimani Estate and dropped him there at midday. Father and son exchanged pleasantries and wished each other well as he rushed to the Central Business District to run errands.
But alas, it was never meant to be, as that was the last time they would see each other.
At the height of the camaraderie, as the children swam and celebrated a friend’s birthday bash, everything suddenly turned tragic when one of the nine children spotted Bradley’s motionless body in the pool and raised a distress call.
This left most of them bewildered and shell-shocked as efforts to resuscitate him went on.
According to his father, he received a disturbing call at around 2 p.m. He stopped what he was doing, rushed to the hotel, and found his son being taken to a taxi. He joined them and rushed him to the Aga Khan Hospital, Kisumu.
Unfortunately, Augustine says, Bradley was pronounced dead less than five minutes after examination.
“I had left Bradley under the care of one of his aunties and the pool attendant. There were many kids, and the auntie was also looking after them. We knew the pool attendant was supposed to be attentive to Bradley,” he said during a press briefing a day after the incident.
He said the hotel staff gave contradicting information about the exact time of death.
“After hearing of his death, they vanished into thin air and left me alone at the hospital to process everything.”
Augustine contacted the police, whom he praised for acting swiftly by visiting both the hospital and the hotel. It was then established that the pool attendant had switched off his phone, collected his belongings and left.
“Accidents do happen, but a clear conscience fears no inquiry. I briefly met the manager in his office, but he left through the back door and drove away, leaving me stranded. No one was willing to talk to me,” he lamented.
He added that while the hotel director had approved full access to CCTV footage, the clip shared did not show his son.
“In the entire footage they sent, the boy was missing. The hotel had initially sent the DCI an edited version, prompting detectives to demand the comprehensive footage.”
Augustine further alleges that the investigating officer has been threatened by a colleague from Homa Bay County who instructed him to stop pursuing the case.
“If they are sure that whatever happened was an accident, then as the aggrieved party, I shouldn’t be left alone seeking answers. It seems they are still not offering tangible information.”
“I have a strong feeling there is something they are hiding about how my son died. I just want justice – to know what happened to my son so I can bury him and let him rest in peace. I can’t bury him like a nobody, without closure.”
In its initial report, the hotel management confirmed the tragic incident occurred around lunchtime on 26th September 2026. A statement indicated that a waiter reported that a young child had “fallen into the swimming pool and swallowed water,” and that the pool attendant had rescued him and was administering first aid as they waited for a taxi.
The manager said he asked those Bradley was with who his parents were, but they said the father had dropped the child and left without leaving a contact. The child was rushed to Aga Khan Hospital by the pool attendant and two colleagues, where he was later confirmed dead. The hotel said it reported the matter at Kisumu Central Police Station and is cooperating with investigators.
In his quest for justice, Augustine has received backing from friends led by Ben Nyang’wara, Erick Okeyo Adie and Owira, who faulted the hotel’s handling of the matter.
“We have been here since we received the report that the boy died, and we left this facility at midnight yesterday. Unfortunately, they have refused to talk to us and even say sorry to the bereaved parents,” they said during the media briefing, urging the management to release the pool attendant’s statement and apologise.
As the Grade Three pupil’s body lies in the morgue, the family is urging law enforcement to expedite investigations.
“I hope law enforcement agencies will unravel the truth and take appropriate action,” Augustine said.
