Police in Thika are investigating circumstances leading to the death of a worker at a steel milling plant.
Caleb Otieno, 34, was boiled to death after he reportedly slipped and fell into a boiler at a factory on Friday.
Otieno, a second born in the family, had worked at the firm’s boiler section for the last seven years. His tragic end left co-workers and members of his family shocked and inconsolable.
A brother of the deceased, John Agwambo, told reporters it is suspected that a metal bar he was pushing into the boiler stuck on one of his gloves and pulled him into the boiler.
“His body was reduced to liquid, not even a single piece of him could be traced in the melted steel. It pains us more because we will not even hold his burial because there’s nothing left of us to inter,” Agwambo said.
He said that the matter was being investigated by the police but raised concerns about the delay by the firm’s management to address them.
“We feel they are hiding something. They are just taking us in circles. We pray that the government intervenes so that we can get justice for our brother,” Agwambo said.
Another family member, Michael Orao, wondered whether the factory had put in place proper measures to ensure the safety of its workers, saying the boiler which claimed their kin had no safety features.
“The boiler where he was working was uncovered, meaning that if one missed a step he could easily fall into the steel melting machine. We hope that the government can crackdown on these factories, which do not comply with safety measures for workers, to avert more deaths,” Orao said.
The relatives called for speedy investigations for them to get justice for their departed kin.
According to Industrialmetalsupply.com steel usually melts at between 1,375 and 1,530 degrees.
