Six employees of tech firm killed in dusitD2 terror attack

Photos of Cellulant Staff killed in dusitD2 terror attack (PHOTO: Courtesy)

NAIROBI, KENYA: Top ICT firm Cellulant is yet to come to terms following death of six employees in hotel complex terror attack in Nairobi.

The company which is among the 40 firms with offices at the complex said the six sacrificed their lives trying to save colleagues in the Riverside terrorist attack in Nairobi.

Ashford Kuria (Head of Product Development), Denis Mwaniki (Head of Information Security), Jeremiah Mbaria (Head of Hub), John Ndiritu (Quality Assurance Tester), Kelvin Gitonga (Hub Engineer) and Wilfred Kareithi (Implementation Engineer, Global Delivery Team) died during the attack.

The company says a memorial service will be held on Tuesday at CITAM, Valley Road Church in Nairobi.

Cellulant, which was founded in Nigeria and Kenya in 2004, offers digital payments platforms and mobile banking services aimed at those who do not have a bank account. It has branches in 11 African countries.

Last year, private investment firm TPG paid Sh4.8 billion to acquire an unspecified stake in Cellulant.

Ken Njoroge, Cellulant co-founder and chief executive said the new investment would enable the company to expand into new markets and to also invest in its existing operations.

Gunmen blasted their way into dusitD2 hotel and office complex in Nairobi on January 15, sending workers fleeing for their lives as others cowered under their desks from an attack claimed by Somali Islamists al Shabaab.

Inspector General of police Joseph Boinnet said 21 people lost their lives in the incident. Those killed included one policeman who had been wounded.

Sixteen of the dead, including the policeman, were Kenyan, Boinnet said, as well as a British man, an American man, and three people of African origin whose nationality was uncertain.