The incident occurred in South Africa.
Police in Kapchorwa are investigating a tragic incident in which a 29-year-old man was struck dead by lightning while bathing at his home on Thursday afternoon.
The deceased, identified as Chemaye Barnabas, a peasant farmer and resident of Kapchella cell, Tuban Ward, West Division in Kapchorwa Municipality, was killed instantly in the freak incident. According to an incident report registered at Kapchorwa Central Police under reference Kap DEF: 009/2026, the lightning strike occurred on 10 July 2026 at around 1:00 p.m.
The matter was reported to police later that afternoon at 3:56 p.m. by the victim’s mother, 60-year-old peasant farmer Annah Kamutya, also a resident of Kapchella cell. Preliminary information indicates that Chemaye was in the bathroom bathing when a bolt of lightning struck, leaving him dead on the spot. Alarmed family members and neighbours rushed to the scene before notifying authorities, who responded and cordoned off the area for investigations.
A team of officers led by the Divisional Criminal Investigations Officer, D/ASP Natukunda, together with the Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO), homicide detectives and other personnel, visited the scene. The team examined and documented the hut and the immediate surroundings, recorded statements from key witnesses, and captured photographic evidence. Investigators also recovered a burnt piece of cloth believed to have been damaged by the lightning strike. Police say initial findings confirm that the lightning struck the hut where the bathroom is located, causing visible burns on Chemaye’s body and damage to some of his clothing. The body was later retrieved and conveyed for further forensic examination as inquiries continue.
Sipi Region Police spokesperson Fred Chesang Kiplagat extended condolences to the bereaved family and urged communities in lightning-prone areas to take precautionary measures. “Our investigations so far indicate that the deceased was struck by lightning while he was bathing and died instantly,” the spokesperson said. “We appeal to residents, especially in highland districts like Kapchorwa, to invest in lightning protection where possible and to avoid bathing or sheltering in isolated, poorly protected structures during thunderstorms.”
Police have opened a sudden-death inquiry file and say additional details will be communicated as more information becomes available.
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