A mother expresses her anguish over the death of her teenage daughter, Hiyab, who drowned while attempting to cross Lake Turkana as part of a dangerous smuggling route. Exploiting the desperation of migrants fleeing Eritrea's harsh regime, traffickers are capitalizing on new pathways despite the inherent dangers of this perilous journey.
Tragedy at Lake Turkana: A Mother’s Grief and the Dark World of Migrant Smuggling
Tragedy at Lake Turkana: A Mother’s Grief and the Dark World of Migrant Smuggling
The haunting story of Senait Mebrehtu, who mourns her daughter Hiyab, symbolizes the dangers faced by migrants in search of safety in Kenya.
As the sun dipped below Lake Turkana’s horizon, Senait Mebrehtu stood by the water's edge, tears streaming down her face as she scattered flowers into the lake in memory of her daughter, Hiyab. The 14-year-old drowned while navigating a treacherous route from Eritrea to Kenya via migrant smugglers. Senait, an Eritrean asylum seeker who fled religious persecution, made the heartbreaking journey to witness the site where her daughter lost her life during a harrowing crossing attempt.
Senait’s family had fled a militarized regime in Eritrea, where young individuals face potential forced conscription and long national service. Although she had sought refuge in Kenya three years prior and initially traveled under a tourist visa with her two younger children, her older daughters were left behind, due to restrictions. Their pleas to join her led to a fateful decision: to entrust their safety to traffickers who operated along risky routes from Eritrea through Ethiopia and into Kenya.
A smuggler operating in the region shared insights with the BBC under the condition of anonymity, stating that the route across Lake Turkana has gained popularity due to increased border patrols on land. Citing the lake's vastness, she lamented the dangers posed by rickety boats frequently overloaded with migrants.
Osman, an Eritrean who witnessed the tragic capsizing of Hiyab’s boat, described the horrifying moment while he traveled with her sister. The boat, which was taking on too many passengers, overturned after becoming engulfed by powerful winds. Tragically, Hiyab and seven others perished in the incident, while her sister managed to survive by clinging to the sinking vessel.
Senait attributes the preventable deaths to the negligence of the smugglers, who overcrowd vessels despite the significant risks. During a visit to Lomekwi, local fishermen reported seeing bodies floating in the lake, further highlighting the dire consequence of this perilous crossing.
In June 2024, the UN refugee agency listed 345,000 Eritrean refugees in East Africa, indicating a growing crisis stemming from ongoing military conflicts. Countries such as Kenya and Uganda are increasingly viewed as safe havens by Eritreans, fleeing the surging tensions in Ethiopia and Sudan.
Witness accounts from the smuggling network reveal chilling realities. Migrants often find themselves trapped in "holding houses," where they face exploitation and poor living conditions — some even succumb to starvation. Among the various threats, female migrants frequently face sexual abuse or forced marriages as part of the smuggling arrangement.
Senait's sorrow for the loss of Hiyab remains immeasurable, though she also feels relief that her older daughter survived the grim journey. She encapsulates the shared pain of countless Eritrean families, emphasizing that their suffering stems from a deeply entrenched political crisis. “May God heal our land and deliver us from all this,” she said, reflecting her pain and hope for a better future.
