Police probe mysterious death of a man at Kibos sugar

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers in Kisumu are looking into the death of a 29-year-old man at the Kibos Sugar and Allied Industries Limited on Tuesday evening.

The police say Mr Ezra Ron Conyando drowned in a water pool while repairing a pipe that channels water into the factory.

Kisumu County Police Commander Alphonse Kimathi said Mr Conyando slipped and fell into the pool and drowned.

“When he slipped and fell into the water, his colleagues rushed to rescue him, but it was too late. He died while receiving treatment at Consolata Hospital near Guba in Mamboleo,” Mr Kimathi said.

“The DCI have taken up the case and upon completion of investigations, we will reveal the exact cause of death.”

The company also confirmed the incident, denying earlier reports that the man had fallen into a boiler or that he had been crushed by machines as alleged by some people.

The incident happened at the water treatment plant, said Kibos Sugar spokesperson Joyce Opondo.

“What I [have gathered] is that he slipped into a water pool at the water treatment plant. He was removed, given first aid and rushed to hospital. However, he was pronounced dead on arrival. The matter is with the police,” she said.

But a worker, who spoke to the Nation in confidence owing to the sensitive nature of the matter, claimed it was a case of negligence.

Our source cited one pipe at the plant that they said is dangerous to workers. The person also claimed that Mr Conyando was not given floaters to prevent him from drowning.

The claims were supported by the family, who said that had the private miller responded swiftly, their relative would not have died.

Delay to get to hospital

Mr Conyando’s parents, Mr Gordon Ajuma Onyando and Mrs Truphosa Ayieko Conyando, claimed that it took more than 40 minutes for the man to be rushed to hospital.

“There should be a quick response when one’s life is in danger. My son was still alive when he was rescued but again the mode of transport used was not an ambulance, which further led to his death because he was uncomfortable,” Mr Onyando said.

Ms Ayieko accused the management of negligence.

“The company has neglected its workers. We were told that there are life jackets and floaters. Why were they not given to my son? Why wasn’t there an alarm to alert other people that it forced his fellow workers to run on foot to call for help? I think there was a lot of negligence on the part of the Kibos management,” she said.

The body was taken to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary.

The incident comes barely a month after another person was boiled to death at a steel factory in Thika.

Mr Caleb Otieno, 25, reportedly fell into a metal boiler at Blue Nile Rolling Mills Ltd in an accident that shocked his workmates, family and friends.

The Kibos incident was not the first at the factory. In 2014 an employee died when a company tractor ran him over.

The engineer was supervising the offloading of cane when the accident happened. The matter was reported at the Kondele Police Station.

In April last year, a worker identified as Maurice Ongonyo died at the private miller after accidentally falling over the factory’s conveyor belt.