A 25-year-old construction worker tragically lost his life after a perimeter wall collapsed at a site along Rhapta Road in Westlands, Nairobi. The incident occurred on Thursday, July 31, during ongoing excavation work. The deceased, identified as Eric Mwanzia, was among dozens of workers at the site, which is reportedly managed by a Chinese firm.
According to police and other workers at the site, the perimeter wall gave way due to the excavation activities. The collapse trapped Mwanzia under a heap of soil. Despite the swift efforts of fellow workers to rescue him, he was declared dead at the scene. Another worker sustained multiple injuries but was successfully rescued and later treated and discharged from hospital.
The site has since been cordoned off and declared a crime scene. Authorities have notified the National Construction Authority and officials from the county government to assist in investigating the cause of the fatal collapse. Concerns are being raised over safety protocols and the level of risk assessments conducted before such excavation activities commence.
In a separate incident on the same day, a man died in Karen, Nairobi, after a tree fell on him. The 43-year-old, Kenneth Mbabu, was working alongside two others who were cutting down trees using a power saw when one of the trees fell, fatally injuring him. Witnesses said the tree landed directly on him, fracturing his leg and causing fatal trauma. Police visited the scene, and the body was moved to the mortuary pending an autopsy.
Elsewhere, in Lumakanda, Kakamega County, a man suspected of cattle theft was lynched by a mob. The suspect had allegedly stolen a cow, which was later found in his compound. When locals were alerted, they gathered and stoned the suspect to death before police could intervene. His body was also taken to the mortuary.
Authorities have reiterated their warning against mob justice, emphasizing that suspects in such cases will face murder charges. The rise in lynching cases is becoming a major concern, with calls for the public to allow law enforcement to handle criminal allegations through due process.
