The week-long search for a missing construction worker in Nairobi ended in tragedy on Saturday when his body was discovered inside the Talanta Sports Stadium.
Sammy Kyengo, 35, had been missing since September 6. His wife, Christine, reported him gone after his phone went silent and he failed to return home.
A colleague stumbled upon his remains around 9 a.m., floating in a water sump behind the stadium’s unfinished terraces. The workers had been preparing the area for plastering when the grim discovery was made.
Investigators who examined the scene said Kyengo bore injuries on the back of his head and neck. Blood was visible from his nose and mouth, though the cause of death has yet to be confirmed. His body was later moved to Nairobi Funeral Home, where an autopsy will be conducted.
For Christine, the discovery ended days of uncertainty. She told reporters that her husband had been increasingly frustrated by unpaid wages. “He told me the company had refused to pay them since July. He wanted to claim his money and quit the job,” she said.
The death has unsettled fellow workers at the site. “We are shocked and worried. If one of us can disappear and end up dead inside the stadium, in whose hands are we safe?” asked Ivan Bongo, a colleague.
Family members described Kyengo as a quiet man with no known disputes. His nephew, Paul Kioko, said the loss had left him fearful for his own future. “He has been supporting me with school fees and rent. I don’t know how I will manage now,” he said.
Police sealed off the area on Saturday as crime scene investigators combed the site for clues. Work at the stadium was suspended for the day.
The incident has raised fresh questions about the conditions and safety of casual workers in Nairobi’s booming construction sector, where delays in payment and weak oversight remain common complaints. Authorities have yet to comment publicly on whether Kyengo’s death is being treated as an accident or a crime.
About the Author
