I foresaw my son's death in a dream, woman says after tragedy in the lake

The past three days have been painful for Grace Ajuong’, mother of one of the nine musicians who died when their boat capsized in Lake Victoria on Saturday.

But interestingly, Ajuong’ says she dreamt about her son, Bernard Owuor’s death, just a day before it happened.

“I had a strange dream. I was in my compound when I saw my son looking after a neighbour’s cattle. He was neatly dressed. The neighbour gave him ugali and fish and he left the grazing field and later disappeared into the air with the cattle,” Ajuong’ said yesterday.

She added: “I waited for him to come back but he did not. I felt very sad when I woke up but I did not tell anyone about the dream. I Ignored it,” she said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Grace Ajuong’, mother of one of the nine Extra Boys Band members who died in a boat accident on Lake Victoria on Saturday speaks to The Standard yesterday.  Ajuong’ says she dreamt about her son, Bernard Owuor’s death, just a day before it happened. (PHOTO: DENISH OCHIENG/ STANDARD)

Owuor, 16, was the youngest in the band and played drums. Owuor, who had dropped out of school in Standard Six at Memba Primary School in Rarieda in 2013, had been with the band for just three days.

“He was a humble boy. He loved music, which he inherited from his father. He had decided to get back to school this year after the local administration banned him from joining the band because he was underage,” said a distraught Ajuong’.

This came as rescuers retrieved the last body. The bodies were then taken to Siaya Referral Hospital Mortuary.

Maurice Oyugi is mourning his only child. The widower had lost three other children and Charles Dan, 20, was his only hope. “My son was the band’s electrician. He was my only child. It is tough for me now that he is no more,” said Oyugi.

It has also emerged that none of the 17 passengers had a life jacket. Boyieta Band manager Philip Ouma, who survived the accident, said the eight survivors escaped death only by God’s grace.

“They clung to any floating object they could get their hands on. Two people held onto a jerrican and four onto two speakers. The captain and another man kept afloat because they know how to swim, even though they had to wait for an hour before rescuers came,” said Ouma.

Ouma said they had a quarrel before boarding the boat, which he believes contributed to the accident.

“Three of our members were drunk. We tried to convince them to remain on the beach and join us later but they refused. There was a near fist fight,” he said. “According to Luo traditions, people should avoid confrontations as much as possible before embarking on a journey,” Ouma said.

All the bodies were retrieved after a three-day search, four on Monday and the rest yesterday.

Governor Cornel Rasanga said the county government will cater for funeral expenses.

Promote safety

Rasanga called on the national government to promote safety in the lake, “as this is not the role of the county government”.

“Why licence a boat that has no basic safety equipment such as life jackets? As a county, we are ready to work with the national government to buy safety gadgets,” said Rasanga.

Lihunda Beach was engulfed with grief as the bereaved wailed for the first time. They had been barred from wailing in keeping with tradition, which requires locals not to cry until bodies are found.

At around 1pm, the Kenya Maritime Authority rescue boat carrying the last body docked on the beach, marking the end of night vigils and search for bodies.

Members of the public watch as volunteers carry to a police lorry one of the bodies of members of Extra Boys Band who capsized in Lake Victoria at Lihunda beach in Siaya County on the last day of retrieval on June 28,2016. The bodies were moved to Bondo mortuary after the last body was found. (PHOTO: DENISH OCHIENG/ STANDARD)

Area chief Julius Nyerere said the bodies had been identified.

“Only one of the victims comes from my location. The others will be ferried to their homes after other logistics have been finalised,” said Mr Nyerere.