Five Sudanese arrested as domestic worker dies in Kilimani apartment

The tragic death of 54-year-old Zaituni Kavaya, a domestic worker from Kibera, has sparked anger and grief among her family, who are demanding answers from authorities.

As reported by Citizen Digital, Kavaya went to work on the fifth floor of a Kilimani apartment on Mpunga Road and never returned home, prompting an investigation by police.

Kilimani detectives have arrested five Sudanese nationals from the same household, who are now in custody as inquiries continue into the circumstances surrounding her death.

Faith Kavaya, the deceased’s daughter, described the heartbreaking moment she learned about her mother's death when she was called to Kilimani Police Station. She had unsuccessfully tried to reach her on the phone.

“I told them this tea will get cold, let me give it to mom when she comes, so she can drink it, then they broke the news to me and said my mother had died. The only thing we were told was that she had fallen from the apartment building, but no other details were given. When we went to City Mortuary, we found it was my mother. She had left home healthy, and I expected her to come back safe,” she said.

Court documents from the detention hearing indicate the incident may have arisen from a dispute over missing money. The son of her boss had claimed that cash had disappeared from the trousers that Kavaya had washed.

“The son of the house did not find his money in one of his pockets, and therefore he called her back. She had left, but he called her to ask about the missing money. From the testimony, she denied taking any money. As they insisted on reporting to the police, she allegedly tried to escape and fell from the balcony,” said Wilson Hassan Nandwa, the defence attorney for the suspects.

The family rejects this narrative. “When I went to collect her belongings at the DCI office, I found only Sh160 in her purse, slippers, a dress and rubbers. There was nothing else. She had already left work, but was called back only to end up dead,” Faith added.

Postmortem findings from Nairobi City Mortuary revealed that Kavaya died from multiple injuries caused by blunt force trauma, raising further questions about what truly happened. Her family is calling on authorities to act swiftly.

“I want the truth and justice because she was everything in our lives. We have no one else to cry to,” Faith said.

Another family member voiced concern over the safety of Kenyan workers, stating, “There is no way foreigners should be killing our people here in Kenya. Where do we run to if this continues? I am asking the President to ensure these foreigners do not kill our people.”

The case highlights growing fears over the safety of domestic workers and the accountability of foreign employers, as police continue to investigate the tragic incident.

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• City Affairs
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• Domestic workers
• Kilimani
• Zaituni Kavaya
• Kilimani apartment
• Five Sudanese arrested as domestic worker dies in Kilimani apartment
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