Worker falls and dies from a building under construction in Nairobi

By Cyrus Ombati

NAIROBI, KENYA: A man died Saturday morning after falling from the 12th floor of a building in Nairobi's Westlands area. 

The man was in the company of other workers and were plastering the One West Patel Building when he slid and fell to the ground. 

He was pronounced dead on arrival in hospital in the area. Police say they are investigating the incident with an aim of knowing if there were safety measures that had been put in place for the workers. 

Nairobi police commander Benson Kibui said they have involved other government agencies to investigate the incident.

"He was pronounced dead on arrival in hospital but we are investigating other issues that may have led to his death," he said.

Most workers die in such conditions and little is done to compensate or take action on issues of negligence on the part of the contractors. Some are trapped whenever such buildings collapse while under construction.

Elsewhere, three City Council askaris were last evening injured in a confrontation with hawkers in the city.

The hawkers were trying to force their way into the CBD to sell their wares when they met resistance from the askaris prompting a violent confrontation, which lasted several hours.

It took the intervention of police to calm the situation and save the askaris. Some of the hawkers were armed with crude weapons and at times attacked motorists along Tom Mboya and Moi Avenue as other thugs joined in the melee.

The council is overwhelmed in controlling the hawkers who flock the city selling their wares all over.

This has affected some businesses in the city as owners of the buildings complain of being blocked and police link them to increased crime.

And four guards have been arrested over cases of robbery and stealing from residential houses in Parklands area.

The four who belong to two different security groups were arrested after they tried to attack a residential house.

Police say they suspect the men are behind a series of other attacks that have been reported in the area. They will be taken to court when investigations are complete.