Prominent Mombasa lawyer plunges to death from building’s eighth floor

A prominent Mombasa-based lawyer crashed to death after he plunged from a building under unclear circumstances.

69-year-old Sammy Omutiti Anyanzwa fell from the eighth floor of Uhuru Na Kazi building at around 10 am and died on the spot.

The deceased had been practising law in Mombasa for over 40 years specialising in civil litigation in the area of land and property.

The body was moved to the Pandya Memorial hospital mortuary in Mombasa County where several people including his partner at the Anyanzwa and Company Advocates, Mr Japeth Asige gathered.

The lawyer from Butere in Kakamega County was said to be in the process of selling his land in Mtwapa, Kilifi County.

His colleagues said Anyanzwa had earlier visited the land registry on the first floor of the building to carry out a search on unknown properties and left, only to die a few minutes later after falling from the upper floor.

Mombasa Police boss Eliud Monari claimed the deceased could have jumped from the eighth floor of the building shortly after he left the first floor which houses the lands offices.

"We can confirm that the deceased Sammy Anyanzwa who jumped from the 8th floor of the building died immediately," Monari said.

He said there was no suicide note found at the scene and police have commenced investigations to unravel the motive of the incident.

Mr Asige who was at the scene and hospital said Mr Anyanzwa was fine in the morning and left to go to the land registry to research on some property.

Other accounts indicated that Mr Anyanzwa got frustrated at the lands registry after complaining of some missing documents in his files.

A court clerk from a private firm, Mr Robert Simiyu, who was the last person with him at the lands office said the lawyer appeared to be stressed and frustrated.

Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Mombasa branch chairman Mathew Nyabena said they were working closely with police to ensure thorough investigations were carried out. “His death has shocked us. We are working closely with the family to ensure our colleague is given a decent burial,” Nyabena said.