Engineer crushed to death at Sugar firm in Kisumu

By Kevine Omollo

Kisumu, Kenya: An employee of Kibos Sugar and Allied Industries in Kisumu County died Wednesday night after a company tractor ran over him while at work.

The Shift Engineer at the company’s Milling Department was supervising the offloading of cane at the time of the incident.

Managing Director Raju Chanan said the incident was accidental but had reported the matter to Kondele Police Station for investigations.

The man was reportedly directing cane shovels when he moved behind one of the shovels which was offloading cane at the milling point.

One of the shovels in the busy unit then hit him from behind and ran over him without the driver noticing, killing him instantly.

“He had just directed one of the shovels to give way for another one to come in. He never noticed another shovel which was reversing,” he said.

The company management then reported the incident to Kondele Police Station where other workers who were at the same station recoded statements over the incident.

Kisumu Central OCPD Musa Kongoli said police had moved in to investigate the circumstances under which the incident occurred saying legal actions will be taken in case negligence is detected.

 “We have not yet established clear information on the circumstance under which the incident occurred but we will definitely investigate and get to the bottom of the matter,” said Kongoli.

The body was taken to New Nyanza Provincial Mortuary.