'Depressed' contractor dies awaiting Ksh.36M payment from Nairobi County gov't
A tragic loss has struck a Kenyan family as a hardworking contractor succumbed to severe depression while waiting for an outstanding payment of approximately Ksh36.8 million from the Nairobi County government.
Beatrice Njeri passed away on Friday morning at Aga Khan Hospital, where she had been receiving treatment amid escalating mental health struggles. Her relatives attribute her condition to intense financial stress after the county failed to settle dues for a completed 2.7-kilometer road project in Ruai's Kanisani area, under contract NCCG/M&W/T/125/2023-2024. The work was finished in September 2024, with the initial invoice submitted the following month, yet repeated follow-ups over more than a year yielded no payment. The family had secured substantial bank loans to fund the project, resulting in crippling debts, repossession of equipment and vehicles, and overwhelming pressure that worsened Njeri's depression.
Her grieving brothers, James Kang’ore and Peter Wambugu Githua, along with fellow contractor Ruth Wahome, have appealed to Governor Sakaja Arthur to expedite the release of the funds. They highlight unfulfilled promises from the governor since 2024 and note that Njeri's body remains at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital due to an unpaid Ksh3.2 million bill. The family warns that without swift intervention, the hardship will devastate Njeri's children and others in similar situations, urging authorities to address the broader issue of delayed payments to contractors.
