Father, son among three dead inside septic tank at Makindu Boys High School

Security and locals try to retrieve bodies of three casual labourers who drowned in a septic tank at Makindu boys high school on May 28, 2026. [Courtesy]

A father and his son are among three casual labourers who died after drowning inside a septic tank during a cleaning operation at Makindu Boys High School in Makueni County.

The incident occurred on Thursday morning at the school, located about three kilometres north of Makindu Police Station along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.

Police said the workers had been contracted to manually drain the school’s septic tank when the deadly incident happened.

According to a police report from Makindu Police Station, the first victim, identified as Maurice Mutia, 40, reportedly slipped and fell into the septic pit during the operation.

“It happened that, as they were manually draining the pit, one of them, namely Maurice Mutia, slipped off and fell inside the pit. A father and his son tried to rescue him. Unfortunately, they too drowned,” the report stated.

The deceased were identified as Sammy Nzau Kula, 63, his son Dennis Sammy Kula, 23, and Maurice Mutia, 40.

The incident was reported by Makindu Location Chief Jackson Kimende at around 1:46 p.m., prompting police officers and detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)Makindu to rush to the scene.

A septic tank where three casual labourers drowned at Makindu Boys High School on May 28, 2026. [Courtesy]

Emergency response teams, police officers, and members of the Makueni County Disaster Rescue Team conducted rescue and retrieval efforts as emotional scenes unfolded at the school.

“The three bodies were retrieved from the pit by police and Makueni County Disaster Rescue Team. The scene was processed, documented, and photographed by CSI,” police said.

The bodies were later moved to Makindu Sub-County Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem examinations as investigations continue.

Two other workers involved in the incident survived and were rushed to the hospital where they are currently receiving treatment in stable condition.

Authorities have launched investigations to establish whether proper occupational safety procedures were followed during the operation and whether the workers had protective equipment while entering the confined space.

The tragedy has reignited debate about occupational safety standards in Kenya, particularly for workers involved in waste management, sewage handling, and confined-space maintenance operations.

Experts warn that septic tanks and sewer systems can contain highly toxic gases such as methane, hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide, which can quickly cause unconsciousness, suffocation and death if proper ventilation and protective gear are not used.

In many cases, workers attempting to rescue colleagues trapped inside septic tanks also become victims after inhaling the dangerous fumes.