This archive report was first published on 6 October 2021.
On October 6, 2021, a tragic incident occurred at Kitengela in Kajiado, where two workers lost their lives while cleaning a septic tank.
According to eyewitnesses, the two workers climbed down the tank using a ladder to apply a chemical that eliminates bad odour. However, they soon found themselves in distress, shouting for help.
A neighbour who witnessed the incident recounted hearing a scream, followed by a loud shout for help. "I was passing by when I heard a scream. When I rushed to see what was happening, I found two people inside the manhole shouting for help," he said.
Police from the nearby Kitengela police station were called to the scene, but unfortunately, the two workers had already succumbed to suffocation. It took emergency response teams, including Kenya Red Cross officers, more than two hours to retrieve the bodies.
Isinya police boss Charles Chepkonga confirmed that investigations into the matter have commenced.
